Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, and Minister of State for Sport and Gaeltacht Affairs, Jack Chambers T.D, together with Sport Ireland, have announced almost €80m for the sport sector under two separate support programmes.
Some €73.6m in Covid funding is being allocated under five separate streams to help sports organisations to recover and grow post-pandemic, support our grassroots network of clubs and local sports partnerships, and ensure people of all ages and abilities return to sport and physical activity.
A further €5.3m is being provided to sport National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) for the provision of sports equipment including the rollout of defibrillators for clubs, kits for school children and state of the art equipment for our high-performance athletes.
Today’s announcement follows a commitment from both Ministers of a €65 million COVID-19 investment programme. Additional investment has been provided through the 2021 Sport Ireland budget providing total COVID support of €73.617 million to the sector. The timing of the schemes provides stability and certainty to the sports sector as it emerges from the pandemic and plans for 2022.
Rowing Ireland Allocation;
€85,000 towards National Governing Body Resilience Funding that covers the loss of income from events, ticket sales, sponsorship, affiliation & membership fees, courses, services and the additional costs arising from the implementation of social distancing and Covid-19 protocols.
€100K towards Club Resilience Funding due to additional costs arising from the implementation of social distancing and Covid-19 protocols has also had a significant impact on Club activities where the sharing of equipment, facilities and resources is common place.
In addition, funding of €60K was received for capital grants relating to equipment for Participation programmes, while €325K was received to support High-Performance equipment and initiatives.
Rowing Ireland’s Chief Executive Officer, Michelle Carpenter said, “After our most successful Olympic Games, Rowing Ireland is constantly working to grow and maximise the success and visibility of our sport in Ireland. This support helps us on our journey for continued growth, development and success. I would particularly like to thank the Department and the Minister in addition to our colleagues at Sport Ireland who constantly support our journey as a National Governing body and our network of clubs and volunteers around the whole Island of Ireland.
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD said: “As a nation so fond of sports, we are very supportive of our clubs, our competitors and of course everyone who enjoys physical activity. But the last two years have been two of the most challenging for all sports organisations and the announcement of this funding will come as a relief for the sports sector. It’s important that the sport sector is on a firm financial footing. The additional funding, coupled with the increase in the budget for sport in 2022, will ensure the long-term viability of our sports organisations, high performance sport and will make sure sport remains accessible to all. These emergency funds will reach all corners of the country, a myriad of activities and ensure clubs and grassroots groups continue their great work.”
Minister of State for Sport and Gaeltacht Affairs Jack Chambers TD, added: “I welcome today’s allocations announced by Sport Ireland, which recognise the immense contribution that sport and physical activity has made to Ireland’s response to the pandemic. All facets of society continue to adjust as the public health situation evolves and our National Governing Bodies, Local Sports Partnership and sports clubs are to be commended on how they have adapted. Government understands that this has been challenging for all and the funding allocated today will assist the sector as it continues to play an important role in supporting all members of society getting and staying active.”
Chairman of Sport Ireland, Kieran Mulvey, commented: “Sport Ireland has engaged extensively with the sector since the onset of the pandemic to understand the pressure points and where organisations need support. This is reflected in the allocations made today by Sport Ireland, which also factor in the wider economic and social impact of sport. It was a priority of the Board of Sport Ireland that the needs of the disability sector were specifically addressed, with ring-fenced funding being allocated in the allocations. The recent budget announcement by the Ministers of an increase in the overall sports funding for 2022 has further reinforced that sense of confidence that support is available. We look forward to working with our funded bodies and a positive 2022.”
Sport Ireland Chief Executive, John Treacy, said: “While organised sport has returned in a meaningful way in recent months, the impact of the restriction of the last two years is still being felt across the sector. Indoor sports in particular have been disproportionately affected, while a large number of outdoor sports have seen their commercial programmes hit. The funding announced by Sport Ireland will alleviate the pressure on these sports and help the wider club infrastructure to sustain their commendable efforts in providing for their membership. As throughout the pandemic, Sport Ireland remains available to our national sporting organisations to provide support and guidance where necessary.”
Full Breakdown of funding: https://www.sportireland.ie/news/major-eu80m-funding-boost-for-sports-to-recover-grow-and-attract-people-nationwide
