Soccer, rugby and GAA funding all reduced

IRISH SPORTS COUNCIL - FUNDING: THE THREE major sports in this country, rugby, soccer and GAA, have been hit with a reduction in Irish Sports Council investment in their various development Programmes for 2011.

The Council will invest €3,158,400 to support the implementation of the FAI’s Football Development Programme and €192,274 on its Women in Sport Programme 2011. This represents a reduction of €260,000 on the 2010 figure.

The ISC will provide €2,966,640 to the GAA towards its 2011 programmes, a reduction of €190,000 on the 2010 figure, while in rugby, the ISC will invest €2,771,120 in IRFU programmes to promote under-age participation and €141,000 in an IRFU Women in Sport programme. This represents a reduction of €186,000 on the figure for 2010.

Over the past decade the three sports bodies have expanded their range of activities through extensive work programmes with communities, clubs, schools, referees and coaches. In respect of these, the 2011 Irish Sports Council investment is down 6 per cent on the 2010 allocation.

The council yesterday announced it invested €9.23 million in the three major sports in 2011, while the sports themselves will invest €8 million from their own resources, bringing the total amount of investment to €27 million. Across the board the investment supports the employment of 500 people.

“This investment insures the long term sustainable development of the three sports in Ireland,” said John Treacy, chief executive of the Irish Sports Council.

“The GAA, FAI and IRFU provide hundreds of thousands of people with opportunities in sport, thereby increasing the levels of physical activity and making a major contribution to the health and wellbeing of the country,” he added.

In all, rugby is investing almost €11 million in 2011 in programmes designed to keep people in the sport, with the proposed allocation by the ISC contributing approximately 27 per cent of the overall costs.

The GAA, who currently field over 20,000 teams and operate out of 2,300 clubs, have more than 464,000 registered members. The organisation will match Council funding for 2011, with an investment of €10.13m, again to cover a number of enterprises.

In 2010, for example, more than 48,000 “Go Games Blitzes” were held across the country for boys and girls in hurling and football, which attracted 367,000 participants. There are also 300 coaching courses scheduled for delivery in 2011, while in hurling there are plans for the establishment of National Hurling and Camogie Centre, and consultation with “weaker” counties.

In rugby, the investment supports the employment of more than 100 Rugby Development Officers (RDO). These RDO are involved in the delivery of programmes that support clubs, schools, academies, referees, coaches and communities. But the union have also targeted a number of other areas that require continued support such as courses for aspiring referees and coaches

In soccer, 2011 will see the launch of a Women’s Development Plan and the inaugural National League, while the Senior women’s and Under 19 teams begin their qualification campaigns for the 2013 European Championships.

There has been a 30 per cent growth in the number of registered women football players since 2008 and the aim is to grow these numbers, especially at the younger ages through the Soccer Sisters and Emerging Talent Programmes.

THE BREAKDOWN

* Soccer: Development investment €260,000 down on 2010.

* GAA: Development investment €190,000 down on 2010.

* Rugby: Development investment €186,000 down on 2010.

* Total investment for all three sports in 2011, €27 million.