On Friday we have an opportunity to vote for who will form the Government of Ireland for the next five years.
Politicians have been on the canvas trail in earnest for the last two weeks but are also asking us to vote for them on the body of work they have put in as Government parties or in opposition, in the Dáil, the Seanad or in Local Council chambers over a longer period of time.
There are many different reasons why someone would cast a vote for one particular party or one particular candidate over another. All of them are valid and all of them will have a different weighting for each individual.
We would never presume to guide you towards voting one way or another but we do have a responsibility to help make informed decisions and with that in mind we publish today a review of how each of the parties or main groupings of candidates have dealt with sport in their published manifestos.
We hope you will find it of interest.
Fine Gael
Building a Healthier, More Active Ireland Through Sport
Fine Gael is committed to investing in sport to strengthen communities, inspire young people, and improve physical and mental health and wellbeing across Ireland.
Boosting Participation
We will ensure that everyone, regardless of age, ability, or socioeconomic background, has the opportunity to participate in sport and develop a high level of physical literacy.
Fine Gael will:
• Increase Participation Above 50%: Work to improve the participation rate in sport above 50% of the adult population.
• Support Inclusion for People with Disabilities: Adopt a cross-government approach to raise sports participation among people with disabilities, closing the current 20% gap with the general population.
• Promote volunteerism: Work to attract more coaches, officials and volunteers into the sports sector.
• Improve vetting: Improve the vetting process so that volunteers can work with multiple groups.
Sporting and leisure facilities in all towns
We believe all towns with a population of over 1,500 should have access to a minimum range of sporting and leisure facilities, such as all-weather pitches, tennis courts and skating parks. The Census definition of an urban area is a town with a total population of 1,500 or more. Rural areas should be within a reasonable distance of this standard range.
Fine Gael will:
• Audit Facilities Nationwide Conduct an audit of all sporting and leisure facilities nationally in line with the National Sports Policy 2018 – 2027. This will include publicly accessible facilities at schools and other educational facilities. Request an independent expert group, working with local communities, to recommend which sporting and leisure facilities are needed in each urban area over 1,500.
• Fund More Sports Facilities: Propose a dedicated Project Ireland 2040 fund to help each town meet the minimum standard for sports facilities. Mandate local authorities to develop an amenity plan with the developers of all new major housing developments.
• Give every child the opportunity to learn how to swim: Implement the National Swimming Strategy and set an objective so that 95% of children will have access to a pool within a 30-minute journey from home or school.
Funding Local Sports and Community Spaces
Fine Gael re-established the Sports Capital Programme and continues to prioritise investment in community sports.
Fine Gael will:
• Ensure Funding: Maintain strong financial support for Sports Capital schemes.
• Enhance Accessibility and Design: Recognise projects that use universal design to foster inclusive participation.
• Expand Large Scale Sporting Infrastructure Fund: Support National Governing Bodies with state-led funding for large-scale projects.
Healthy Starts, Healthy Lives
To give every child the best start in life, we believe in prioritising sport and physical activity for children. We are also living longer and this should be seen as a great success story and one which presents many opportunities to assist our people to live happier, healthier and longer lives.
Fine Gael will:
• Encourage Daily Activity for Youth: Promote at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity for children of all abilities through schools and community initiatives.
• Expand the Active School Flag Initiative: Equip schools with resources to better promote physical activity and health.
• Promote Physical Activity for Older Adults: Invest in programmes tailored to older citizens, encouraging lifelong activity through sports like walking, swimming, cycling and, critically, resistance training. Expand access to sports and recreational facilities, support local sports partnerships, extend walking trails, and utilise greenways.
• Devise an ‘Exercise is Medicine Programme’: Task the Department of Health and Healthy Ireland to work with the health sector and key stakeholders including local authorities and Local Sports Partnerships, to devise a community based, ‘Exercise is Medicine’ programme. This would involve developing and rolling out a standardised, high quality and clinically safe exercise and strength programme, in group settings, targeted at people from age 55+ years in their community.
• Introduce Gym Membership Tax Relief: Introduce tax relief on gym memberships to make fitness more affordable and accessible.
Inclusion and equality of access
Fine Gael will:
• Access for all: Expand support for para-sports and special-needs programmes by providing grants to clubs that demonstrate inclusive policies and facilities, ensuring people with disabilities have equal access to participate and excel in sports.
• One club ethos: Work with all sporting organisations to promote a ‘one club’ ethos, encompassing male and female participants and promoting equality of access to sporting facilities.
Supporting High Performance and Olympic Sports
Our Olympic and Special Olympics athletes have inspired young people across Ireland. We need to create pathways to foster sportspeople of exceptional ability and we will:
• Back Sport Ireland’s High Performance Strategy: Support long-term success on the global stage.
• Deliver a New Velodrome: Build a new velodrome to nurture future cycling and badminton talent.
Attracting International Sporting Events
• Hosting global sports events boosts tourism and showcases Ireland. We will support Limerick as it prepares to host the Ryder Cup in 2027, and will bid for the AIG Women’s Open and Open at Portmarnock Golf Club.
• We will also: Support UEFA Euro 2028: Ensure Ireland is fully prepared to host and benefit from this major event.
• Attract More World Events: Actively bid to host major international sporting events, including the Rugby World Cup, European Football Championships, NFL games, and major athletics championships. This will drive tourism, stimulate the economy, and raise Ireland’s international profile.
Strengthening All-Island Sporting Activities
Sports like athletics, hockey, and rugby already work well on an all-island basis.
Fine Gael will:
• Expand Cross-Border Sport: Increase crossborder sporting initiatives, including soccer, while protecting the roles of governing bodies.
Fine Gael’s sports policy is about building a more active, healthier Ireland where sport is accessible, well resourced, and inspiring for all.
Tourism through sport
Fine Gael will:
• Back Sports-Related Tourism: Partner with Tourism Ireland to promote Ireland as a top destination for sports-related tourism, from golf and equestrian events to adventure sports. This will boost rural economies and showcase Ireland’s natural landscapes to the world.
Sustainability in Sport
Ireland will be at the forefront of creating sustainable, environmentally friendly sports facilities and events, aligned with our broader climate action goals.
Fine Gael will:
• Promote Green Sports Facility Investment: Provide incentives for sports facilities to adopt renewable energy, sustainable water use, and eco friendly design, aiming for carbon-neutral sports venues.
• Encourage Sustainable Major Sporting Events: Ensure all major sporting events adhere to a national sustainability charter, reducing waste,
promoting public transport use, and sourcing from local suppliers.
Governance, Integrity, and Equality in Sport: Real Accountability in Sporting Organisations
Fine Gael will ensure that Irish sport is governed with integrity, transparency, and a commitment to gender equality at all levels of administration and competition. We will ensure that sport is represented at Assistant Secretary level in the relevant department.
Fine Gael will:
• Promote International Best Practice in Governance: Mandate all national governing bodies and sports organisations to adhere to international
best practices in governance, transparency, and anti-corruption measures.
• Close the Gender Gap: Develop a long-term strategy to close the gap on gender inequality when it comes to funding, representation, remuneration, media coverage, sponsorship and participation at grassroots and elite levels.
• Eliminate Abuse and Misconduct: Consult with athletes, referees and officials to devise the best way to protect against abuse and misconduct, ensuring all sporting environments are safe and respectful. This should lead to better governance and codes of conduct at club level.
Fianna Fáil
Sport holds tremendous significance in Ireland, offering numerous benefits that extend far beyond the track, pool or playing field. It promotes health and wellbeing, fosters social connections within communities, and instils a profound sense of national pride that helps shape our identity as a nation. Through sport, we not only enhance our physical wellbeing but also strengthen the bonds that unite us, reflecting our shared values and aspirations.
Sport for all
Since 2020 we have reached a record high of two million adults participating in sport every week, thanks to targeted investments in facilities, equipment, and support for our athletes. We have made significant strides towards achieving gender equality in sports, resulting in a greater number of women participating than ever before. We want to do more.
If returned to Government, Fianna Fáil will:
• Increase capital funds to develop multisport facilities in communities that can be shared by various local sports clubs.
• Allow approved sports bodies to create long-term Strategic Development Funds for capital investment in facilities, removing the requirement that the proceeds of donations (and associated tax relief) be tied to a specific approved capital project.
• Implement the New National Swimming Strategy by investing in pools and swimming facilities allowing everyone an opportunity to swim.
• Extend charitable status to National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships on an opt-in/opt-out basis.
• Complete the development of the National Sports Campus in Blanchardstown.
• Proceed with the National Velodrome and Badminton Centre, as well as the new National Cricket Stadium.
• Create a Next Generation Fund to support soccer academies.
• Provide dedicated funding to support and train high-performance coaches.
• Appoint a Sport Ireland Disability Lead.
• Increase funding to enable individuals with disabilities to participate in a wider range of sports.
• Increase the Betting Tax Levy from 2% to 3%, with a portion of the additional yield to be allocated for the development of sports infrastructure.
• Introduce a tax credit on gym membership.
High-performance athletes and facilities
Our success at this year’s summer Olympics is a testament to our commitment to our high performance athletes. We want to build on this success.
If returned to Government, Fianna Fáil will:
• Complete the development of the National Sports Campus in Blanchardstown.
• Proceed with the National Velodrome and Badminton Centre, as well as the new National Cricket Stadium.
• Create a Next Generation Fund to support soccer academies.
• Provide dedicated funding to support and train high-performance coaches.
• Appoint a Sport Ireland Disability Lead.
• Increase funding to enable individuals with disabilities to participate in a wider range of sports.
• Increase the Betting Tax Levy from 2% to 3%, with a portion of the additional yield to be allocated for the development of sports infrastructure.
• Introduce a tax credit on gym membership.
• Strengthen efforts to seek business and philanthropic funding for high performance sport to complement state funding.
• Promote research and development of initiatives that support participation and excellence in sports.
Major international sports events
Fianna Fáil is ambitious for Ireland and recognises that hosting major international sports events can significantly impact our nation. By bringing the world’s attention to Ireland, we create opportunities for economic growth and cultural exchanges, all the while inspiring
increased participation in sports.
If returned to Government, Fianna Fáil will:
• Support Limerick in its hosting of the Ryder Cup in 2027.
• Bid for The Open and the AIG Women’s Open at Portmarnock Golf Club.
• Support Euro 2028 to ensure that it leaves a positive legacy in terms of both promoting Ireland and developing active participation in sports.
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin would also significantly invest in sport, striving to increase participation and make our population healthier, stronger and more robust.
Ireland is increasingly a more difficult country for young people to grow up in. The provision of sporting activities faces mounting pressure for both providers and participants as the cost-of-living escalates.
Participation in sport is key to building a healthier population and in fostering a sense of community.
Sinn Féin also acknowledges the link between investment in sport and the reduction of child poverty. We believe that sport can play an important role in improving the lives of our young people and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.
Given the many benefits of sport, it should be properly invested in. Eurostat figures showed that we had one of the worst ratios of GDP to sport and recreation.
Sinn Féin would reverse this trend.
In government, we would introduce a new Activity Card scheme to improve the lives of young people.
The card would set in place the measures required to increase Ireland’s international standing in the areas of sport, arts and culture and it would have a positive effect on our children’s quality of life and wellbeing.
The scheme would provide all children in primary and secondary school with an annual Activity Card to the value of €130, to be used on participating in sport or arts activities.
Successive governments have talked about a ‘National Sports Facilities Strategy’, but none have gone so far as to develop and deliver one. Sinn Féin would introduce this strategy.
With increased resources to the Large-Scale-Sports-Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF), we would also radically improve our sports facilities.
Sinn Féin priorities include:
- Providing every child aged four to 18 with an annual Activity Card worth €130 to spend on extra-curricular sports or arts activities costing €126.8m
- Developing a National Sports Facilities Strategy and increasing funding for the LSSIF with an additional capital injection of €55m
- Rolling out a Euro 2028 Advance Legacy Fund of €50m and supporting the development of the League of Ireland with additional annual funding of €10m for grassroots football
- Modernising outdated local sports facilities across the state
- Increasing core funding for sport’s national governing bodies and local sports partnerships by €1.5m
- Increasing the Betting Tax Levy by 1%, raising €49m
Green Party
Major funding increases by the Green Party in Government to sports funding have generated unprecedented success at every level, as evinced by Ireland’s success at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
An 83% increase in sports funding since 2019 has led to greater inclusion of young women and people with disabilities in sport.
Building on our success, we will:
• Prioritise the participation of women and girls in sport through targeted investment and by supporting media coverage for women’s sports. We will bridge the participation gap for women in sport, ensuring equal participation by 2027.
• Develop sporting infrastructure that is accessible for all and work to improve access to sporting infrastructure for those with disabilities via the Changing Places and other schemes.
• Support the provision of more free gym exercise equipment in parks.
• Support the climate adaptation of local sports clubs through the expansion of the successful Outdoor Biodiversity initiative.
• Address the participation drop in sport in adolescent age groups through targeted interventions.
• Build upon Team Ireland’s incredible successes at the 2024 Summer and Paralympic Games through the accelerated implementation of the High Performance Strategy.
• We will treat certain exercise-related costs as health expenses that can be claimed through Income Tax Returns.
Labour Party
Our mission is to provide the best possible facilities supporting grassroot sport and recreation, that serve all our communities
and increase participation for all people, while investing to boost Ireland’s international sporting performance.
Labour knows that properly funding sport and recreations pays off because it is good for our health and our communities. Ireland spends over €1.5bn treating obesity while investing just over €170m a year in sport. With a growing population there is an urgent need to invest more in sporting and recreational facilities.
Labour will introduce a 1% increase in the Betting Levy to fund new multi-sport facilities alongside a dedicated focus on grassroots and League of Ireland football while seeking increased participation for women and girls, disadvantaged communities, and people with disabilities.
Funding
Labour will increase funding for sport with a dedicated focus on supporting social inclusion, gender equality, anti-racism, and integration.
Funding must be conditional on strong ethics and transparent governance.
Labour will:
» Commit to multi-annual funding to provide certainty for national sporting bodies and local sports partnerships, while requiring at least 40% representation of women in sports governing bodies.
» Create a social inclusion fund to be distributed through NGBs to allow sports clubs provide free or reduced membership where necessary.
» Provide dedicated increased funding for disability sporting organisations, Special Olympics Ireland, and the Paralympics, and ensure funding for autism friendly spaces in our public sporting and recreational facilities.
» Put in place a plan to boost funding and support for high performance Olympic athletes and sports, and establish a Gradam scheme, like Aosdána, to support elite amateur athletes who represent our island internationally.
» Continue to support and fund the GAA and IRFU in recognition of the important all-island and social role they play in our communities.
» Introduce targeted tax measures including VAT relief and changes to charitable donation relief to support clubs and NGBs, including strategic development funds.
» Bring in tax relief on sporting membership fees to improve affordability, and reduced VAT on sport and exercise classes to encourage participation in sports and recreation.
» Review the Sugar Tax and invest a portion of revenues into measures to tackle childhood obesity such as school sports clubs and the Active School Flag programme.
» Address insurance concerns that can limit club activities.
» Welcome proposals for hosting international sporting competitions in Ireland but not at the expense of grassroots funding.
Facilities and Recreation
Ireland simply doesn’t have enough sporting facilities and Labour will introduce a new Community Sports Facility Guarantee for all towns with a population over 5,000. We will invest to deliver more community multisport pitches, swimming pools and specialist sporting halls and facilities.
Labour will:
» Introduce a Community Sports Facility Guarantee so that every town with a population greater than 5,000 has a dedicated multisports facility with suitable all-weather pitches.
» Increase the Betting Levy by 1% and ring fence proceeds for investment in community sporting infrastructure.
» Devolve responsibility for Sports Capital Funding to local authorities to better coordinate delivery of facilities and introduce a dedicated annual funding call to provide certainty for club development plans and expand the scheme to support clubs who need to purchase land.
» Ensure every town with a population greater than 5,000 has its own public swimming pool and develop Lidos in Dublin and Cork.
» Deliver improved changing facilities for women and girls at all public sporting grounds and facilities, and ensure that combined toilet, shower and changing rooms are designed, and available for use by people with complex and multiple impairments or other disabilities.
» Continue to develop Sports Campus Ireland, and support minority sports.
» Develop and resource a PE Hall Development Plan to ensure every school has access to modern sporting facilities that can also be accessed by the local community.
» Improve and fund more recreational facilities such as playgrounds, scooter, and skate parks, and ensure the OPW, Coillte and Waterways Ireland work with local authorities to further develop outdoor facilities.
» Expand public walks, cycleway, and greenway schemes, provide improved changing facilities at public beaches, and improve access for hill walkers to upland areas.
» Introduce holiday sports schemes for students and expand current after school sport programmes.
Supporting Irish Football
Labour recognises that football is one of the greatest tools available to support integration of new communities, participation for those with disabilities, and gender equality in sport and we would implement an ambitious strategy to develop community grassroots football and the League of Ireland which have suffered from underfunding over many years.
We will:
» Work with the FAI to roll out an ambitious facility investment vision and strategy, providing significant investment from the grassroots to international levels.
» Develop our domestic league and implement an ambitious programme that ensures our football players can forge careers in Ireland, including centralised contracts for young women and men that would support them to stay in the game in Ireland for a minimum of three years, and education scholarships to build links between the League of Ireland and thirdlevel educational institutes.
» Expand football as a transition year subject countrywide and develop a football academy structure.
» Provide a portion of broadcast revenues to League of Ireland clubs and undertake a programme of national promotion for the game.
» Work with the Northern Irish Executive to consider the feasibility of an all-island football league. Labour will continue to support and work with Gaelic games, rugby, and other sporting codes, but we believe that Irish football needs dedicated focus and support to address decades of poor governance and underinvestment.
People Before Profit
To flourish people and communities need access the arts, culture and sports and leisure facilities. In order to address the neglect of working class communities we need, amongst other things, investment in youth and community services.
We will:
• Increase funding by 50% for sports and recreation projects and services: We will actively work with the key public sports programme providers, such as Sport Ireland and Sport Capital & Equipment Programme, to distribute additional funding to sporting areas that need it the most.
• In particular, we will ensure that the Football Association of Ireland is appropriately funded to support grassroots clubs;
• Provide a basic income scheme for elite amateur athletes, especially those representing Ireland at national level
Social Democrats
Sport is fundamentally embedded in our culture. We know that participation in sport and physical activity can assist the achievement of both health and social goals.
The primary objective of the Social Democrats in government will be to maximise participation levels in sport and recreation. The success of sports policy should be measured not in gold medals but instead by the percentage of the population who are out and active. This is key not only for keeping people active, but also in the fight against obesity, the sustaining of communities, the integration of people from diverse backgrounds, and the promotion of mental well-being.
Research shows lower levels of participation among girls and women, older people, and people with disabilities, though it should be noted that the gender gap has closed significantly in the last two decades. We will target these groups in particular to increase participation.
In Government, the Social Democrats will:
➢ Use participation levels as the main driver of strategy in sports policy, with funding geared more towards participation than other criteria. Funding will also focus on the role sports can play in social inclusion, gender equality, and integration.
➢ Have a sports capital fund allocation every year, rather than the current ad-hoc arrangement. This would provide some additional certainty to grass-roots organisation who wish to plan ahead in the development of their facilities.
➢ Ensure that core public funding provided to sporting bodies is adequate and delivered on a multi-annual basis.
➢ Create a fairer and more transparent method for the allocation of funding by locality. This would involve moving the allocation of funds to being a competence of local authorities, where local knowledge can be taken into account on where the greatest need for funding is.
➢ Seek to provide, via Sports Capital Grants, an open access MUGA (multi use games area) pitch in every community where that is feasible.
➢ Provide extra funding for initiatives aimed at cohorts with high drop-out rates or low participation rates.
➢ Work with representative groups from the disabled community to improve access to sporting infrastructure and opportunities.
➢ Introduce a new requirement that all planning authorities must publish a sport and recreation facilities strategy as part of their development plan process. Such a strategy would include an appraisal of pitch and recreational shortfalls in each local authority area.
➢ Plan for pitches and sports facilities to be incorporated into each major planning application, Local Area Plan and all other development projects.
➢ Review the current tax regime to ensure incentives to make donations to sporting organisations are fit for purpose.
➢ Phase out state funding to the greyhound racing industry.
Sports and Activity Voucher
Too many young people are being priced out of playing a sport or learning a creative art. This is not a failure of the clubs, who must fund their activities, but a failure of policy. The Social Democrats are proposing a €150 Sports and Cultural Activity voucher for all children aged 6 to 18.
We believe a voucher scheme would work better than a tax credit, which would likely exclude children from families reliant on social welfare, or with low earnings.
This voucher would ensure that children get to participate in their chosen sport or activity for free, or at a heavily
subsidised price. There should be no financial barrier to parents getting their children active.
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