Funding of €35m allocated for sports clubs’ energy needs

Some €35 million will be made available to sports clubs to help fund energy-intensive activities over the winter such as running floodlights and heating changing rooms.

Minister of State for Sport Jack Chambers will announce the funding later on Wednesday.

In addition to sports clubs and other sporting organisations, national sports bodies could also receive a share of the funding to help them meet rising energy costs.

The €35 million is part of a wider €60 million announced by Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath to help with energy bills for sporting and other voluntary organisations.

‘You couldn’t make it up’: David McWilliams gives his verdict on Budget 2024

---

Inside ‘the weirdest budget ever’: Climate bust-ups, a mortgage surprise and the Stephen Donnelly saga

---

We cannot aspire to EU-style public services and US levels of tax

---

Budget 2024 calculator: How this year’s budget will affect your income

---

Another €100 million was provided for the education sector, which will include money to help tackle the school bus controversy.

The overall package will support not-for-profit and voluntary organisations in the Arts, Gaeltacht and community sectors, but sport has received the largest single tranche in the funding.

There was an €8 million increase in the budget for the sports sector, bringing the total budget package for the area to €43 million.

It will help fund high-performance athletes in the build-up to the Paris Games and the Paralympic Games, as well as create a new coaching fund and finance measures contained in the Government’s sports action plan.