RECORD ALLOCATION OF FUNDING FOR SPORTS
The sport of sailing was a significant beneficiary of grants totalling more than €230 million for new and improved sports facilities and equipment throughout the country under the Community Sport Facilities Fund (formerly the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme) that were announced last week.
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin and Minister of State for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht, Thomas Byrne announced the record funding, comprising 1,996 grants, at Cambridge FC in Ringsend, Dublin where they were joined by Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Pascal Donohoe.
The €230 million allocation follows May’s allocation of €26 million for sports equipment which brings the total investment in community sport and recreation in 2024 to €256 million. This is a 50% increase on the funding allocated in early 2022 under the 2020 round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme.
Over 40 separate sports, as well as multi-sport facilities throughout the country, will benefit from the community sport grants announced on Wednesday 25 September.
Almost €2 million in total has been allocated to sailing and sailing-related projects. Among the sailing and boating clubs in receipt of grants under the new scheme (including previously announced equipment funding) are the National Yacht Club (€120,526), Howth Yacht Club (€30,000), Irish National Sailing Club (€48,840), Dublin Bay Sailing Club (€52,232), Rush Sailing Club (€89,488), Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club (€37,904 for the Dublin City Community Sailing Project), Skerries Sailing Club (€58,271 for disability access and new training boats), Galway City Sailing Club (€46,209 for new safety RIBs and sailing fleet additions) and Dingle Sailing Club (€60,144).
Each application was assessed under criteria including population density, deprivation and access to facilities. Unsuccessful applicants can appeal any grant applications deemed invalid.
Minister Byrne said: “The inspiring performance of Team Ireland at the Olympics and Paralympics recently in Paris demonstrated the positive power of sport and we understand that any sporting journey begins within the community. The record funding being announced today under the Community Sport Facilities Fund underlines this Government’s continued commitment to seeing Irish sport thrive into the future.”
The allocations are split into three categories: equipment funding (€3,791,906), local projects (€179m) and regional projects (€47.5m). The full breakdown of allocations can be found HERE - gov.ie - Community Sport Facilities Funding Allocations (www.gov.ie)