A record level of core funding for Irish sport has been confirmed for 2026, with more than €33 million set to flow to National Governing Bodies, Local Sports Partnerships and other sporting organisations under a new multi-annual funding model designed to improve planning, stability and long-term impact across the sector.
Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan and Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy Charlie McConalogue today announced a total investment of €33.36 million in core funding support through Sport Ireland for the year ahead.
The figure represents the highest-ever level of core grant investment in Irish sport and marks a 6.5 per cent increase on 2025 levels. It also underlines the scale of growth since the publication of the National Sports Policy in 2018, with core funding now up 87.4 per cent on the €17.8 million invested at that time.
Of the total allocation, €19.5 million will be invested across 57 National Governing Bodies of Sport in 2026, an increase of €1.2 million on the previous year. A further €12.66 million has been earmarked for the network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships nationwide, representing a 5.9 per cent uplift year-on-year, while €1.2 million will support other recognised sporting bodies.
Beyond the headline numbers, 2026 is significant as the first year of Sport Ireland’s new three-year multi-annual funding model, a structural change widely welcomed across the sector. The shift away from single-year allocations is intended to support improved strategic planning, greater workforce stability and a more effective use of public funding within sporting organisations.
Speaking at the announcement at the Sport Ireland Campus, Minister O’Donovan said the increased investment reflected a clear Government commitment to strengthening the foundations of Irish sport at every level. He noted that National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships play a central role in delivering participation, performance pathways and community impact across the country.
He added that the funding would allow continued scaling of participation programmes, particularly those aimed at women and girls, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to narrowing — and ultimately eliminating — the gender participation gap in sport. The move to multi-annual funding, he said, would also provide the stability required to grow participation sustainably and position Ireland as a leader in inclusive, high-quality sport.
Minister McConalogue emphasised the wider societal value of sport and its alignment with broader Government priorities, from health and wellbeing to social inclusion and community development. He said the core funding allocation would strengthen the capacity of high-performing, largely volunteer-led organisations, enabling them to plan with confidence and invest in long-term sustainability.
Crucially, he highlighted the role the funding will play in supporting initiatives that improve access to sport for those facing socio-economic barriers and for people with disabilities, while further extending the reach and impact of Local Sports Partnerships as community-based drivers of participation.
From the perspective of Sport Ireland, Chairperson John Foley described the investment as pivotal to delivering on the ambitions set out in the National Sports Policy. He said the organisation stands “square behind” NGBs and LSPs and will continue to provide both strategic direction and operational leadership as they respond to growing expectations around governance, inclusion and impact.
Chief Executive Dr Úna May said the record allocation demonstrated the strength of Government commitment to building a robust and resilient sport sector. She noted that Sport Ireland’s investment decisions are informed by a broad assessment of each sport’s national significance, the ambition and quality of its programmes, and the standard of governance and operational capability within each organisation.
She also underlined the emphasis placed on participation, membership growth, volunteerism and the wider social value generated by sport in communities across the country, describing a vibrant and diverse sporting landscape as essential to ensuring people of all ages and backgrounds have access to meaningful sporting opportunities.
We will be diving deeper into the figures tomorrow.
Sport for Business Perspective
For sporting organisations, the significance of today’s announcement lies not just in the record funding level, but in the structural shift to multi-annual certainty. In a sector where reliance on volunteers remains high and professional staff numbers have grown in response to governance, safeguarding and inclusion requirements, the ability to plan over a three-year horizon is a meaningful step forward.
From a Sport for Business viewpoint, the increased core investment also strengthens the capacity of sports bodies to act as credible partners for sponsors, funders and community stakeholders. Greater financial stability supports better governance, clearer strategy and more measurable impact — all of which are increasingly important in demonstrating the value of sport as both a social good and an economic contributor.
Image Credit: Sport Ireland and Inpho.ie
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