Irish Sports Council Funding:Special Olympics Ireland and Horse Sport Ireland are among the biggest losers in the scaled down funding announced by the sports council (ISC) today.
The 2010 funding to 59 national governing bodies (NGBs) totals €11,855,377, compared to last year’s €12,739,839, with nearly everyone taking a hit due to the economic circumstances.
The grants made available to 27 bodies under the Women in Sport programme are also down from €1,572,396 to €1,374,900.
The biggest drop, however, is reserved for Special Olympics Ireland which is down over €250,000 from €2,564,269 to €2,307,842. It does, however, retain the largest allocation by some distance ahead of the Athletics Association of Ireland (AAI).
The AAI was given €1,153,500 in total last year and has been granted €1,032,430 today. Horse Sport Ireland’s allocation drops nearly €100,000 to €890,295.
The Shooting Sports Association of Ireland receives nothing, having benefitted to the tune of €35,450 last year, though the Irish Clay Pigeon Shooting Association receives €35,000 after getting nothing in 2009.
The Croquet Association of Ireland and the Irish American Football Association also saw their allocations rise to €6,000 and €22,000 respectively.
ONAKAI, the Official National Amateur Karate Association of Ireland, was another to see its allocation cut altogether after receiving €11,500 last year.
Minister for Sport Martin Cullen said the allocations were “a further commitment to, and acknowledgement of, the key role of the sports’ governing bodies.”
“By minimizing the cut in the Irish Sports Council’s budget for 2010, supported by my government colleagues, I sought to protect the funding of the Council’s existing initiatives including today’s announcement of grants to the National Governing Bodies of Sport and to the Women in Sport programme.
“I believe we must maintain this investment to enable the Sports Council to carry out its important programmes, in particular the essential work of the National Governing Bodies of Sport.”
Ossie Kilkenny, chairman of the ISC added: “The Council is delighted to be in a position to announce substantial grants in the governing bodies in 2010. The sports bodies have benefitted from consistent investment in recent years, reflected in stronger organisations delivering essential sports programmes to the community. It is important that the investment is maintained and progress in sports development sustained into the long term”.