Sport Ireland and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media have published the core funding levels distributed as part of the annual grant to sports National Governing Bodies.
The money relates to 2022 and has been available and drawn down by the sporting bodies since the start of this year.
The two organisations also confirmed diversity and inclusion along with improved governance and greater gender balance as key priorities for 2023.
2022 sees an increase in NGB investment with an additional €1,155,000 being invested in the sector bringing the total Core funding levels up to €15m.
A further €115,000 and €60,000 were allocated to the Federation of Irish Sport and Student Sport Ireland in support their ongoing work within the sector.
Additionally, Sport Ireland has provided annual investment in the three large field sports. A total of €2,389,653 has been allocated to the GAA and €2,250,843 to the IRFU. This funding supports vital coaching, games development and technical development programmes in both the GAA and IRFU.
As per the Memorandum of Understanding agreed between the Government and the FAI, €5.8 million in funding will be made available to the FAI for football development programmes, pending approval by the Board of Sport Ireland.
A specific Winter Initiative aimed at increasing sports participation and boosting membership of clubs will also be announced shortly.
Special Olympics Ireland, Athletics Ireland and Swim Ireland are the three other sports who get in excess of €1 million in the current year with the latter two getting an increase of around 10 per cent each.
Horse Sport Ireland, Basketball Ireland Cricket Ireland the Ladies Gaelic Football Association fill the next four places with €975,000, €800,000, €500,000 and €500,000 respectively.
Tennis Ireland, the Camogie Association and Irish Sailing round out the Top Ten with €450,000 each.
Boxing Issues
The Irish Amateur Boxing Association has been granted €500,000 but 15 per cent of this has been withheld pending the acceptance of reforms that was originally rejected at an EGM this summer.
Paul McDermott of Sport Ireland confirmed yesterday that discussions are ongoing with Boxing to resolve the issues that are causing the withholding of these funds.
A further 19 NGBs are in receipt of a six-figure sum towards their core funding, including Badminton Ireland, Cycling Ireland, Gymnastics Ireland, Rowing Ireland, Golf Ireland, Irish Wheelchair Association, Canoeing Ireland, Triathlon Ireland, Mountaineering Ireland, Irish Squash and Volleyball Ireland from among the Sport for Business membership.
One of the interesting elements was the increase at the lower end of the scale, potentially making the biggest difference to sports including Baton Twirling and Racqetball who have been raised from €25,000 to €40,000 and Croquet, Ice Hockey and Onakai who remain the three with the lowest level of funding but who have been lifted from €10,000 to €25,000 each.
“Continued Government investment in sport will be essential in ensuring a full recovery for the sport sector after two difficult years of Covid-19 restrictions and also in ensuring that that our objectives for sport are achieved,” said
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin.
“The €15 million investment in core funding for NGBs this year reflects Sport Ireland’s recognition of the central role that NGBs play in Irish sport.”
“As part of our ongoing investment, it is important that key Government policies relating to diversity and inclusion, gender balance and governance as well as our Covid-19 recovery initiatives are prioritised and I welcome the inclusion of these priority areas in Sport Ireland’s terms and conditions of grant funding for next year.”
Resilient and Vibrant
“With the assistance of significant Government investment in recent years, the sport sector has proven itself to be a resilient and vibrant sector which has delivered many benefits for our society,” added Minister of State for Sport, Jack Chambers.
“We have set ambitious objectives for sport in the areas of participation, high performance and governance and sporting organisations are delivering on these objectives.”
“From 2023, Sport Ireland’s grant funding to sporting organisations will be more closely aligned to our key policies for sport with four funding priorities being included as an important element of Sport Ireland’s grant funding criteria.”
“These priorities relate to adoption of the Governance Code of Sport, achievement of 40 per cent gender balance on Boards of NGBs, development of Diversity & Inclusion Plans, and support for the delivery of the Government’s Winter Initiative as part of the sector’s recovery from Covid-19.”
“The inclusion of these funding priorities for 2023 will ensure that the State’s investment in sport is delivering on policy objectives and will, in turn, deliver greater benefits for everyone involved in sport.”
NGBs are required by the end of 2023 to achieve a minimum of 40 per cent female and male representation on their Boards.
At present, 39 NGBs have 30 per cent or more mixed representation at Board level with a number of NGBs already reporting a 40/60 gender split on their Board.
The number has been out there for a year now and no-one can claim to be unaware. A number of sporting bodies have begun the constitution changes that might be required but this will remain a key metric over the next 18 months as we wait to see what level of financial penalty will be raised on each of the bodies that might yet come up short.
“Today’s announcement will provide the NGB’s with clarity around the funding priorities and areas of focus for 2023,” said Sport Ireland CEO Dr Una May.
“We have already seen a strong emphasis from the vast majority of NGBs across these areas and Sport Ireland will continue to roll-out supports to assist all of our funded bodies meet these requirements.”
