The Government has confirmed a further €4 million investment in the Women in Sport Programme for 2026, maintaining the record level of funding provided in each of the previous two years.
The allocation was announced by the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, and the Minister of State for Sport and Postal Policy, Charlie McConalogue. It will be distributed through Sport Ireland to National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships.
Established in 2005, the programme has now directed more than €30 million towards projects and initiatives for women and girls across Irish sport. Its annual allocation has doubled from €2 million in 2022 to €4 million in each of 2024, 2025 and 2026.
The funding will again be structured around the four pillars of the Sport Ireland Women in Sport Policy: active participation; coaching and officiating; leadership and governance; and visibility.
The latest Irish Sports Monitor provides evidence both of the progress made and the work still required. It found that 46 per cent of women participated in sport weekly during 2025, while the difference between male and female participation widened slightly to four percentage points.
“The most recent Irish Sports Monitor findings highlighted the significant progress made over the lifetime of the National Sports Policy, with 46 per cent of women now participating in sport weekly,” said O’Donovan.
“The results also illustrated the ongoing need for investment to eliminate a persistent gender participation gap. We remain committed as a Government to eliminating the participation gap, and the funding announced today is vital to achieving that goal and ensuring that every woman and girl can excel in all aspects of sport.”
McConalogue highlighted the importance of looking beyond participation numbers to the wider influence women have across the sporting system.
“The sustained investment in the Women in Sport Programme over the past 20 years has enabled the sector to provide opportunities and support for women to participate fully in sport, including in coaching and leadership positions,” he said.
“The funding announced today will build on that progress, helping to foster a sporting culture where women can thrive at every level and be empowered to enjoy the benefits of lifelong participation in sport.”
Michelle Tanner, Chairperson of the Sport Ireland Women in Sport Committee, said the programme represented a continuing commitment to gender equality.
“The evolution of the Women in Sport Policy, backed by sustained Government investment, is a testament to two decades of progress and to our shared commitment to gender equality in sport,” she said.
“By empowering women and girls to participate, lead and excel at every level, we are building a more inclusive sporting culture—one that benefits all of society.”
The most important measure of this year’s funding will not simply be the number of programmes supported but their capacity to deliver lasting change.
Initiatives that retain teenage girls in sport, create credible pathways for women into coaching and officiating, and increase the number of women in senior decision-making positions will be especially important.
Visibility remains another central challenge. Growing audiences for women’s international football and rugby, Gaelic games, athletics and Olympic sport have transformed the profile of leading female athletes. That visibility has yet to be replicated consistently across domestic competition and a wider range of sports.
The programme provides resources for National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships to test, develop and expand initiatives that might otherwise sit outside their core operational budgets.
The detailed 2026 allocation shows €1.905 million distributed across 47 National Governing Bodies, with a further €62,000 assigned to collaborative special projects.
Athletics Ireland and Swim Ireland receive the largest individual NGB allocations at €110,000 each, followed by Basketball Ireland, Gymnastics Ireland, Hockey Ireland and Triathlon Ireland at €80,000 each.
A separate €1.1 million large-field-sport allocation provides €400,000 each to the Irish Rugby Football Union and the Gaelic Games family, comprising the GAA, LGFA, Camogie Association, GAA Handball and Rounders. The Football Association of Ireland receives €300,000.
The funding maintains Women in Sport as one of the most clearly defined strands of Irish sports policy. The next challenge is to demonstrate measurable progress in the areas where women remain underrepresented and ensure that record investment produces permanent structural change rather than a succession of standalone initiatives.
Sport Ireland and the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport are both full members of Sport for Business.
The annual Sport for Business Women in Sport Conference will take place on Thursday, December 3rd, 2026. Further information on the conference themes, speakers and location will be published over the coming weeks.
Sport Ireland, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and the Top 20 Sports in receipt of Funding through these programmes are full members of Sport for Business.
If you would like to be part of the Sport for Business community and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the conversation happening every day around the commercial world of Irish Sport, email us today and let’s see what is possible.
Image Credit: Sport Ireland
ABOUT SPORT FOR BUSINESS
Sport for Business is Ireland’s leading platform focused on the commercial, strategic and societal impact of sport. It connects decision-makers across governing bodies, clubs, brands, agencies, and public institutions through high-quality content, events, and insights.
Sport for Business explores how sport drives economic value, participation, inclusion and national identity, and how your story can be part of ours.
Through analysis, storytelling and convening the sector, it helps leaders understand trends, share best practices, and make better-informed decisions. It positions sport not just as entertainment but as a vital contributor to Ireland’s social and economic fabric.
Find out more about becoming a member today.
Or sign up for our Daily Sport for Business Snapshot email bulletins to get a flavour of the material we cover.
Sign up for our News Bulletins here.
