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Last Updated: 14 Mar 2023 - 11:29:17 AM |
Sport Ireland to invest €24m in High Performance Sport in 2023
By Press Release
1 Mar 2023,
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Building on the highest ever recorded medal achievements in 2022, Sport Ireland has today announced a multi-annual funding package, which sees historic levels of investment in high performance sport. The investment commitments of the National Sports Policy 2018-2027 continue to be delivered for high performance sport.
Under its multi-annual funding commitment for 2022 to 2024, €10.8m in High Performance Programme Funding will be provided to 19 National Governing Bodies to support the delivery of their performance programmes in 2023. A further €950,000 has been allocated to the Olympic Federation of Ireland (€500,000) and Paralympics Ireland (€450,000) for operations and administration support.
Multi-annual funding is extended to the International Carding Scheme which provides financial support to athletes for their training and competition programmes. Athletes that have achieved criteria for funding in 2022 will be on the International Carding Scheme for 2023 and 2024. This will allow athletes to focus on training and performances as they seek qualification for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024. In 2023, Sport Ireland will invest €3,486,500 under the International Carding Scheme. This will support 127 athletes and three relays / pool funding in 14 sports.
The additional €4m of investment provided by Government for 2023 will be directed to specific initiatives within high performance sport. Sport Ireland will be prudent in its expenditure of this additional funding throughout 2023. Coaching, Paris 2024, athlete supports, and High Performance Strategy activation are priority investment areas for Sport Ireland. In 2022, Sport Ireland allocated €1.9m in High Performance Impact Funding, and this funding stream will be again available in 2023. It will address one-off costs for high performance programmes and give recognition to the increased costs of doing business in high performance sport.
The levels of investment for 2023 are substantial and see Sport Ireland tracking to invest over €67m in high performance sport between 2022 and 2024.
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin TD said: “Today’s High Performance funding announcement is a very welcome announcement after a highly successful year for Irish athletes on the high-performance stage in 2022, in various sporting codes. Through this funding we can continue to support and champion our athletes with their sporting journeys in European and World Championships, while also assisting them with achieving qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The National Sports Policy 2021 – 2032 aims to provide continuous support to our High-Performance Program through increased levels of funding and after last year’s successes, I believe we will continue to build on this in the near future.”
Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education Thomas Byrne TD welcomed today’s announcement: “Our athletes inspire the nation, through their individual and collective achievements. It is important to ensure that they are provided with the best opportunity to succeed. This strategic approach to multi-annual funding ensures that Team Ireland is well placed heading into Paris 2024. It enables our athletes to concentrate on their sports with a degree of stability and certainty, without having to contend with the extra pressure of future financial uncertainty. This was a key commitment set out in the National Sports Policy 2018-2027 and its delivery is already showing results given the record 100 major medals that were won by Irish athletes and teams in 2022. Our investment is clearly paying dividends, our athletes are delivering.”
Chief Executive of Sport Ireland Dr Úna May commented: “Sport Ireland’s High-Performance Strategy sets high ambitions for Ireland’s performance at international competitions. In order for these objectives to be achieved, athletes and organisations require consistent support. Sport Ireland will invest over €40m in total in High Performance Programme Funding throughout the Paris Cycle (2021-2024). This is an increase from €31m in the Tokyo Cycle (2017-2020). Through the delivery of a multi-year funding package, Sport Ireland is supporting athletes to focus fully on their training and preparation.”
High Performance Strategy 2021-2032
The Sport Ireland High Performance Strategy 2021-2032 will enter its third year of implementation in 2023. The Strategy’s vision is “Ireland consistently achieving podium success on the world stage inspiring the nation and future generations”.
In the first two years of its delivery, Sport Ireland has prioritised the achievement of objectives relative to high performance investment, athlete supports, world class coaching and services, and governance (Strategic Pillars 1-4).
The continued effective delivery of the Strategy is dependent on collaboration, alignment, and support from key stakeholders, including the Department of Sport (DTCAGSM), National Governing Bodies, the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Paralympics Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland. This is a hugely positive feature of the Strategy’s journey and enables it’s philosophy, “Our athletes and the people who support them are at the heart of what we do”, to be championed.
In 2023, an additional €4m will be invested by Sport Ireland to high performance sport.
Sport Ireland has established its priorities for this investment, which relate to coaching, High Performance Impact Funding, Paris 2024, athletes supports, and strategy activation. Sport Ireland’s investment in 2023 will continue to reflect the mandate of the Sport Ireland High Performance Strategy 2021-2032.
High Performance Funding
High Performance Programme Funding is provided to National Governing Bodies to support the delivery of their performance programmes. This funding supports a range of activities including training camps and competitions, pathway development, performance services and performance team salaries. These programmes are central to supporting Irish athletes and teams in reaching finals and achieving medals at European Championships and World Championships, as well as the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
2023 International Carding Scheme
The International Carding Scheme provides financial support to athletes for their training and competition programmes. The primary purpose of this funding is to support Irish athletes in reaching finals and achieving medals at European, World, Olympic and Paralympic level.
In 2023, Sport Ireland will invest €3,486,500 under the International Carding Scheme. This will support 127 athletes and three relays / pool funding in 14 sports.
Under the advancements of the International Carding Scheme announced in 2022, athletes that achieve criteria in 2022 will be on the International Carding Scheme for 2023 and 2024 subject to terms and conditions of the International Carding Scheme. This will allow athletes to focus on training and performances as they seek qualification for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024. There are a number of athletes who did not achieve full criteria but are included on the International Carding Scheme for 2023 only, following requests from their respective NGBs.
These athletes are indicated in the following table with asterisk *.
As part of Sport Ireland’s commitment to support athletes’ transition to post athletic careers, 13 athletes were approved on the Athlete Career Transition (ACT) programme in 2022 in addition to the 19 athletes approved in 2021. In total 33 athletes have been approved on the ACT programme which provides financial and non-financial supports to carded athletes on retirement.
Highlights of the 2023 International Carding Scheme
• 32 athletes have been awarded the top category of Podium funding
• 32 athletes have been awarded World Class funding
• 63 athletes have been awarded International funding
• Two relays in Athletics, 4 x 400m Mixed and 4 x 400m Women’s Relays have been
awarded funding following impressive championship performances in 2022
• Pool funding has been awarded in Boxing to support targeted athletes
• Of the 127 athletes, 66 (52%) are male and 61 (48%) are female
• 22 Para athletes, representing 17% of overall athletes, are supported and an additional 6
pilots / guides are also supported in Para Cycling and Para Triathlon
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