Funding of €27 Million for High-Performance Sport was announced by Sport Ireland, Minister Patrick O’Donovan and Minister Charlie McConalogue in Dublin this morning.
This represents an increase in funding of €2 Million over what was committed in 2024.
Investment has produced the reward that was hoped and planned for, with 378 international medals achieved during the Paris Cycle, and 112 of those coming last year.
€12.7 million is going towards 16 individual sports for their high-performance programmes. On the road to Paris, there were 19 sports with Judo, Taekwondo and Pentathlon now accounted for in a separate performance development strand worth €775,000 and also including Squash, Basketball, Weightlifting and Winter Sports.
Million Euro Barrier
Within the main group six sports have broken the €1 Million barrier. Rowing, Swimming, Athletics, Boxing, Paralympics and Sailing have delivered a return on the investment that has gone to each of them.
Swimming, Athletics, and Sailing also have a commitment to a similar level of investment in each of the three subsequent years to 2028, though that has yet to be signed off for Rowing, Boxing, and the Paralympics.
Boxing will require the greatest amount of discussion with the Irish Amateur Boxing Association not yet committed to the World Boxing Council, which is now responsible for the reinstated Olympic Boxing Programme.
We spoke to Minister Patrick O’Donovan and will have his thoughts on the subject tomorrow morning.
Each of the other ten sports with funding for a programme also has a four-year commitment and has seen a significant increase in the amount of money that will be granted this year over 2024.
Hockey, Horse Sport, Cycling, Gymnastics, Golf, Rugby, Cricket, Badminton, Canoeing and Triathlon have been increased by between €30,000 and almost €300,000 year-on-year. The average lift across the 16 sports to benefit is €154,000.
Another €1.1 million has been allocated for this year to the Olympic Federation of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland to cover their High-Performance supports.
Finally, the amount of money allocated to Direct Athlete Support is €4.5 million for this year, down slightly on the Olympic and Paralympic year of 2024 but up in the area of Athlete Career Transition directed to athletes stepping away from the HP environment.
We will look at this in greater detail tomorrow morning and at the breakdown across the three levels of funding.
Meaningful
“Sport Ireland’s High Performance Strategy is a well-developed and meaningful way of promoting our high performance athletes to achieve greater levels of success and is a tried and tested manner for us to support our athletes to compete at the highest level on the international stage,” said Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport Patrick O’Donovan T.D.
“Multi-annual funding awards provide a level of stability for athletes to plan, concentrate and deliver on their sporting goals. Irish athletes are breaking barriers with continued medal success at international level and I am confident that this continued support will lead to further achievement at the highest levels.”
“This record funding announcement for High Performance Sport highlights Ireland’s strong level of support for individual and team athletes in their endeavour to achieve the highest potential rewards,” added Minister of State for Sport and Postal Policy, Charlie McConalogue.
“We know that public investment in High Performance Sport pays dividends and increases the possibility for Irish athletes to compete at the highest level, which is why we are investing €27m through Sport Ireland over 2025.”
“The significant increase in High Performance Sport funding over many years demonstrates the Government’s continued commitment, in collaboration with Sport Ireland, to support our athletes as they continue to strive for success.”
Cause and Effect
“It’s great to be here in Trinity for the High Performance Funding Announcement for 2025,” said Dr Una May, CEO of Sport Ireland.
“Walking in the front gates today, I passed the statue of Oliver Goldsmith, who held that true wisdom consists of tracing effects to their causes.”
“That’s a sentiment that captures one strand of the approach taken by the Sport Ireland High Performance Unit. While we all take pride in the recent successes of Irish athletes, it is only by understanding the factors behind those achievements that we can perpetuate them.”
“Our approach, backed by Government policy that has been far-sighted and deep-pocketed, has been consistent and sustainable investment to allow NGBs to develop strong and effective structures that support high-performance athletes over the long-term.”
“The results speak for themselves. The medal-winning performances of recent years are a testament to this strategy, with many NGBs benefiting from consistent support over multiple quadrennial cycles.”
“The Government’s multi-annual funding commitment will enable Sport Ireland to demonstrate ongoing returns on investment. But, of course, it’s not just about the medals, our focus remains on athlete welfare, supporting them to compete globally while prioritising their well-being.”
“Investment in high-performance sport has been steadily increasing, with significant acceleration since 2018. At Sport Ireland, we would like to thank the Government for their backing,” concluded Sport Ireland High-Performance Committee Chair Olive Loughnane.
“The increased investment reflects a firm commitment to policy implementation, specifically, the National Sports Policy 2018-2027 and High Performance Strategy 2021-2032.”
“We are making strong progress towards the National Sports Policy target of €30m by 2027.”
“Sport Ireland’s investment in high-performance sport is now comparable with our international competitors. Our priority is to collaborate with stakeholders across the high-performance system to maximise the effectiveness of this investment through strategic initiatives and programs that deliver measurable results and value for money.”
“These high-performance programs support the ambitions of athletes and teams who proudly wear the green, representing our nation as they strive for finals and podium finishes on the World and European stage.”
Further Reading for Sport for Business members: Sport Ireland Core Funding for 2025
SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
The Oliver Goldsmith quote is appropriate as this funding is based on a set of principles and measurements that are less subject to the vagaries of fashion and fleeting success. The investment and return curve is upwards. The aim is to maintain that as we move towards Los Angeles, Brisbane, and beyond.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
We will have conversations tomorrow with Minister Patrick O’Donovan, High-Performance Chair Olive Loughnane and an analysis of the Direct Athlete Support funding.
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