The Federation of Irish Sport published their Budget 2025 Submission yesterday in Dublin in the company of double Olympic gold medallist Fintan McCarthy.
The event took place in the Royal Irish Academy on Dawson Street just around the corner from Dáil Eireann where a massive security operation was in place including restricted access and road closures to mark the return of politics in the chamber for the new session.
The access which sport has had over the summer though will hopefully bear fruit as our political leaders reflect perhaps on the balmier days of summer and the glow of success in Paris at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
A quote from An Taoiseach Simon Harris floated above the speakers when he said that “We also need to look, when this Olympics is over, at how we can really try to build on its legacy in Ireland.”
Sporting investment under the last two Ministers of State for Sport, Jack Chambers who will now be the chief architect of the budget, and Thomas Byrne, has been rising in line with the promise of the National Sports Strategy which still runs to 2027.
We now have per capita central government investment in sport of €39, €17 of which is in capital expenditure and €22 in current. That has increase by 8.3%, 6.7% and 8.1% in the past three years though inflation has taken up the majority of that.
The benchmark of a sports mad country of similar population remains New Zealand and there the current spending per capita figure is €44.
That is then the target of what Irish sport needs in order to continue competing on the biggest of international stages.
We heard yesterday not only from Federation CEO Mary O’Connor but also from Gymnastics Ireland CEO Ciaran Gallagher and Hockey Ireland CEO Anne McCormack that it is increases in the multi annual core funding that are needed in order to maintain staffing and programmes at a level that will secure a legacy for sport and a healthier, happier population.
That is the first ask of Government in this budget.
The second is reform to the tax treatment of sporting club memberships and sporting donations, signalled as being closer now than it has ever been.
Getting those two asks over the line in a few weeks time would be a major win for sport and reward for the smart politicking and the world class performance that can be pointed to as the result of stronger investment to date under this government. A win-win for all.
The third ask is less likely to yield a positive and brings with it some complications.
Raising betting duty and dividing the money across a greater spectrum of sport than horse and greyhound racing has a logic to the argument but has been continually rebuffed on the basis of disrupting the concept of central exchequer decision making.
At a time as well when there is growing concern over the influence of betting among sports people, younger adults and through mobile phones, linking an increase in funding to an increase in betting is complicated.
As the sirens flared and the tensions increased outside on Dublin’s streets, the presence of a cordon around our seat of political power was a reminder of the different areas in which Government is being asked for more.
Society is better with a healthy and vibrant sporting infrastructure. It makes us healthier and happier. But we also need places to live, schools to educate and climate challenges met.
We have a low tax economy in comparison to some countries where we look to match their level of public spending, but without the same level of public commitment to paying for it in our taxes.
The arguments for sport are sound and have both been well made and well received.
Like on the track or the pitch however, the end result can only be hoped for and never guaranteed.
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