€30m is being made available under the Sports Capital Programme to develop sports infrastructure around the country. This is the latest wave of a programme that has delivered over €100 Million in the past five years.

The money will be made available to individual, clubs, sporting organisations and local authorities to assist in the building, renovation of or purchase of a range of projects including:

• Natural grass sports pitches, tracks and courts (including pitch drainage)
• Floodlighting
• Artificial sports pitches, tracks, courts and multi-use games areas
• Security fencing, ball stop netting and goal posts
• Hurling walls / handball alleys
• Building or refurbishment of dressing rooms, showers and toilets
• Building or refurbishment of sports halls and gyms
• Non-personal equipment including lawn mowers and defibrillators. Anything set in the ground (such as goal posts) is not considered equipment.
• Any other capital projects that are clearly sporting in nature and that will increase participation in sport or improve performance

Online applications will be accepted from the 23rd January to the 24th February, 2017.

Read about the last round of the Sports Capital Programme

Clubs not previously registered on the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport’s online application system need to do so in advance of this date and there is a detailed guide  to making an application here.

“I am delighted that this funding is being made available,” said Minister Shane Ross.

“The Sports Capital Programme aims to foster an integrated and planned approach to developing sport and recreation facilities and it has transformed the sporting landscape of Ireland with improvements in the quality and quantity of sporting facilities in virtually every village, town and city in the country.”

“The new €30 million programme provides an opportunity for further improvements and I would urge all organisations with a suitable project to consider making an application”.

Look back on 2016 – A Year to Remember in the Business of Sport

“The Programme for Government contains the aim of allocating sports capital grants on an annual basis and since being given responsibility for sport, I have been struck by the huge level of interest in the Sports Capital Programme across so many different sporting disciplines,” added Minister of State for Sport Patrick O’Donovan.

“I was determined to make the application process as simple as possible and in this regard we have significantly shortened the application form, issued new guides for completing the form and my Department is also arranging a series of regional workshops in the new year to assist applicants.”

“The upcoming holiday period provides a good opportunity for clubs to get registered on www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie, familiarise themselves with the guide and undertake any other preparatory work in advance of formally submitting their application”.

Join us for a morning of learning, networking and insight on the sporting year ahead and the sponsorship trends that will impact upon us on January 20th.  Reserve your place now. 

The Government has sought input from those with an interest in Irish Sport on how to frame a new national Sports policy for the next decade.  

This is the first time in 20 years that such a framework will be adopted at Government level and it is a crucial opportunity to put sport into its important context as part of overall Government thinking.

The Key Areas of interest and the Sport for Business views on each are as follows:

• Contribution of sport
• Participation 
• High Performance 
• Local and Regional Facilities
• National Sports Campus 
• Governance 
• Coaching
• Volunteer engagement
• Safety in sport
• Integrity of sport and international influence
• Sport in a cross-sectoral context
• Outdoor recreation
• Sports Tourism
• Financing Irish sport
• Measuring the impact of sport

As there will always be competition for Government resources between different priorities, what is the most significant reason why sports funding should be maintained / increased?

The positive impact of sport and physical activity on the wellbeing of citizens and society makes it a key element in Government responsibility.

It may never be the most pressing of arguments but there is a long term good derived from a healthier nation that makes it just as important over time as any new hospital wing or school building programme.

How can funding for sport be optimised while keeping public sector objectives firmly central?

The amount spent on sport and physical activity at central Government level is very modest, representing less than one per cent of total spending on health and yet an integral part of how preventative health initiatives can be encouraged and delivered.

Looking beyond the sporting headlines of high wages at the elite end is imperative as this can otherwise colour the role that Government has to play in the overall sporting identity of the nation.

What would be the appropriate balance of Government funding between high performance and participation?

This is likely to differ from one sport to another and imposing a universal figure on all sports would likely satisfy very few in terms of their individual need.

There is a delicate balance between creating stars who will inspire and putting facilities and programmes in place that will support getting as many people active as possible.  That in itself will lead to a broader base from which the next generation of elite performers will emerge.

Get it right and this becomes a virtuous circle of improvement across both pillars

How can new sources of commercial investment into sport and/or philanthropic contributions to sport and sports bodies be encouraged? 

Money is often the key and a favourable tax incentive treatment of sponsorship that is geared towards, or incorporating strong elements of contributing towards particular area, be that children, social disadvantage or elsewhere could be effective.

Sectors such as insurance where there is no VAT charged cannot reclaim the VAT on sponsorship spending, adding a quarter to the actual cost of support.

Analysis in detail at a sectoral level could yield relatively low cost initiatives to the exchequer that could generate substantial percentage increase in the amounts of commercial support going into sport.

Charity status within sports clubs is another area that could encourage greater giving at local level from smaller businesses who if given a financial as well as emotional incentive could be persuaded to contribute more.

Philanthropy is an area that has been less well targeted by sport than by other sectors but which has a strong appeal in terms of reaching out to individuals to support areas in which many of their deepest community and sense of place memories will be founded.

Encouraging a programme whereby sporting bodies can develop their own skills in attracting philanthropic support would be a positive move.

Is it possible for some governing bodies, depending on size, to be self-sustaining?

Yes they can be self sustaining but if it is to be done on a purely commercial basis then the balance of what that sport contributes to a wider society will be knocked off kilter.

There is often a measure of frustration that Government money is spent within the major field sports which are best placed to attract commercial sponsorship.  The reality is though that these are also the best placed to deliver sporting programmes and outlets to get different groups more physically active.

By suggesting that this should all be funded out of other areas of commercially driven income would lead to those strengths at grassroots level withering and society being poorer for it.

Changing the language of financial investment from grants to payments, from handouts to service payments could see a better overall understanding of the kind of contribution that sports like the GAA, soccer and rugby make beyond the bright lights and the elite players.

In the case of smaller NGBs which are predominantly financed by public funding, would it be a more effective use of funds to provide shared supports for administration etc.?

Collaborative approaches will always work best in our opinion.  It is the basis on which we have built Sport for Business and plays to the fact that problems which often seem unique to one particular group or sport often have a lot more commonality than could be imagined.

The benefits in terms of shared costs over accommodation and business infrastructure at Sport HQ at the National Sports Campus show what can be saved and also what can be encouraged in terms of learning from the success of others.

At its heart sport is competitive but while that will always be the case in terms of what happens between the start and end of an event, it can sometimes be to the detriment of the game if that competition blinds people to the stronger mutual benefit of sharing whether in terms of facilities, expertise or services.

How can it be ensured that commercial revenue available to certain sports benefit the grassroots level of that sport?

Commercial revenues are based on commercial reward for those paying the money.  If societal good at grassroots level can be effectively promoted and proven to be part of that reward then so much the better.

Insisting though that this be the case on a regulated basis would be challenging and more likely seen as a barrier.

The exception could be as outlined above where beneficial tax treatment could be afforded to sponsorship investment that is seen to be benefitting areas of a support base or society that would otherwise be left behind.

Creating an environment where pilot programmes or experimental treatments could be encouraged will lead to greater innovation than would be the case in a more general change to the way that sponsorship and other commercial revenues are directed.

When GAA President Aogán Ó’Fearghail introduced the GAA’s annual accounts at Croke Park yesterday he described them as being solid.

That was a word that sat well with Finance Director Tom Ryan.

Sport is a passionate business, on and off the field.  Everyone has an opinion.  Almost everyone believes they could do it better.  It needs the more prosaic calm of a financial administrator like Ryan though to actually get it done.

“I am pleased to report that 2016 was another good financial year for the GAA,” he said.

It was that with Central Council’s total revenues increasing from €56.5 million in 2015 to a record high of €60.5 million in the twelve months to October 31st 2016.

Ryan though was not about to let the glory of a big win go to either his or the GAA’s head.

“Of course any year which features a replay in an All-Ireand senior Championship Final is likely to turn out well, but aside from that obvious boost we fared well on many less obvious fronts as well, contributing to a year of solid financial returns and continued progress,” he said.

There were challenges.  Attendance fell by 5% overall but with the drops coming at the earlier stages of competition and with a replay boost at the biggest and most lucrative end gate receipts rose.

The cry will go up then that the cost of tickets must have gone up when they were in most demand but no.  Ticket prices for the replay were reduced as before and it was down to a better mix, differing trends in attendance which the Association is monitoring and hoping to address through enhancing competition in the Championships.

“The challenge is to increase attendances – and revenues – at the earlier rounds of the qualifiers.”

“The trend in recent years has been for lower turnouts in round 1 and 2 and increasing reliance on the latter stages.”

“This is not sustainable and has an adverse effect on the competitions far beyond the financial.”

There were big wins in premium seat renewals, in Stadium rental for concerts, conference and business events at Croke Park and in a number of key areas under the stewardship of Commercial Director Peter McKenna that we will look at in greater depth over the coming days.

The accounts are absolutely transparent. County Boards and members of the GAA would do well to absorb the detail ahead of the Annual Congress and reflect on the strong position that being commercial has created for building and growing the GAA in the face of immense competition from others and from outside sport altogether.

That only matters of course if the values that underpin the amateur ethos, the passion elements themselves, the knowledge of understanding what is the right thing to do and having the courage to do it, remain solid.

That is itself a major challenge but it can be done and it will be done.

Key Figures

* Increase of €4m in revenues to €60m

* Gate receipts up by €3m

* Central Council championship attendances drop by forty thousand

* Commercial revenues stable at €19m

* Direct cost of matches up to €12m

* Distributions to units up to €13m

* Games development up to €11m

* Player welfare down slightly at €4m

* Operating costs increased to €10m

* Capital expenditure and grants of €10m

* Net result is break-even

Where the money goes

“As ever, the GAA has funnelled all revenue back into the Association,” said Ryan.

“Central Council distributed some €13.4m to counties and clubs to underwrite their operating costs and to defray the cost of their participation in the various competitions.”

“”This is an increase of almost €1m over the previous year, and indeed is the highest annual distribution achieved in the Association to date.

“A total of €11.4m was deployed at all levels around the country and internationally around the country to further development of our games. This represents the single biggest coaching investment in any one year, and an increase of €1m over last year.”

The GAA’s Annual Accounts are among the most comprehensive to be published and explained by any sporting organisation.

They are so in order to be transparent and also in order that delegates to the GAA Congress later this month can have a full picture of how the sport is funded.

This year’s headline figure saw a record revenue line of €60.5 million and more money going back out to units than ever before.

We covered the top line figures in our report yesterday but today we wanted to look a little closer at some of the detail that goes to make up the bigger picture.

Corporate Income

There are many within the GAA who would decry the commercialism that they believe threatens the very heart of what the GAA is in communities across the country.

And at the same time there is immense pride from the facilities that Croke Park offers and what it says about the position of the Association in modern Ireland.

The stadium itself is run as a separate company under the leadership of Peter McKenna.

It delivered a ‘dividend’ to the GAA last year of €7.5 million, up from €7 million the previous year.

The most interesting element in the figures lies in the fact that the rental of the stadium for matches came to a total of €8.1 million while Corporate hire income was 50% higher than that at €12.3 million, not including the hire for concerts that yielded another €4.7 million.

Those are big numbers, without which considerably less would be available for the playing of games.

Media Rights

The value of media rights in 2016 was €11.5 million, up from €11.2 million the previous year.  These will rise again next year as part of the new five year deal across a range of rights packages.

The GAA never reveals exactly how much is paid by broadcasters for rights but we will get an indication and we estimate that the new deal will give rise to an uplift of around 20% .

Last year’s rise is partly explained by the growth of GAAGo, the joint venture between the GAA and RTE which we believe will be a key element of an evolving media landscape over the next decade.

Team Expenses

These rose by 22% in the year from €4.5 million to €5.5 million.  They cover the expenses of teams for participating in competitions yet probably only scratch the surface in terms of the money expended at county level in preparing teams.

This is a combination of player welfare, training facilities, physio, medical and all the other costs associated with maintaining a team.

When questioned over whether this payment itself was ‘feeding the monster’ of how much county boards were putting towards the elite teams Finance Director Tom Ryan admitted that Croke Park had no control over what individual Boards decided on what was best for them but that it was becoming ever more of an issue.

Deposit and Loan

The GAA runs a small deposit and loan scheme for the benefit of clubs and county boards.  Those with a surplus can place it on deposit with Croke Park and receive a modest interest payment for so doing.

The amounts are then loaned out to clubs and counties to fund development at a cost which would be below what would be charged if going to the commercial market for that element of funding.

There is strict management of the fund applied and it has been closed for loans since last September until the deposits start5 to come in again.

At present the GAA has €59 million out in loans, €18 million of that to the Cork County Board for the ongoing redevelopment of Pairc Uí Chaoimh.

Professor Simon Shibli is Head of the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University and a key player in determining the key measurements by which success is judged for for sport and leisure in the UK

He is coming to Dublin next week as one of a number of senior international speakers at a major event looking at the future of sporting facilities as part of our societies.

In advance of his trip to Dublin Shibli took time out to look at a number of issues posed by Sport for Business on how to quantify the real value of investing in sport.

Sport for Business: How do you approach questions on how to assign value to providing sporting infrastructure?

Simon Shibli: Most of the sporting infrastructure I work with is sport and leisure centres, which enjoy some form of public subsidy in the form of Lottery grants or other public sector investment to set them up and indeed to run them. This automatically makes you think about how this subsidy might be justified.

Local authorities have a responsibility to perform statutory duties such as education and highways’ maintenance as well as to improve the quality of life for local residents – this is where sport and leisure facilities fit in.

The provision of physically and financially accessible facilities which enable people to benefit from the preventative and curative properties of sport is a worthwhile long term investment. In the UK, the new government strategy for sport, Sporting Future, focuses on physical and mental health alongside individual, societal and economic development.

Sport facilities can contribute strongly to the delivery of these wider social outcomes and have become enablers of government policy.

Should facilities be planned to cater for existing demand or to prime it? Is there evidence to support the idea that supply generates demand?

The rational answer would be that all capital projects should be constructed to cater for existing and anticipated demand. However, all this tends to do is to improve the quality of supply for the already active and does little to stimulate new demand.

Buildings in and of themselves do not stimulate demand. It is what goes on in them (programming) and how well this is delivered (people) that makes the difference. If we want more people to take part in sport, then it follows that we need more facilities to make this desire a reality.

Providers need to accept that there may be a lag between a facility opening and people altering their habits to take up sport and physical activity. What we can’t have is increased demand with fixed supply, which will push prices up and marginalise further the so called ‘hard to reach’ groups.

There was evidence in the UK in the late 1970s and early 1980s that the ‘build it and they will come’ mantra was true, as there was considerable pent up latent demand at the time. Now that there are so many more competing interests for people’s time and money it is not so straightforward. However, the logical consequence of pushing up demand means that supply must increase to match it, or else we face the risk of over promising and under delivering.

How can sport compete for public expenditure against the competing demands of education and healthcare?

Sport has to demonstrate its wider value to society. We know that people with high levels of education thrive in the jobs’ market and we know that improved healthcare has increased our life expectancy. What do we know about the impacts of sport?

In comparison with the evidence we have on the impacts of education and healthcare, the evidence base for sport is modest. Recent research by my colleague Professor Peter Taylor shows for the first time, that for every £1 invested in sport there is a wider social benefit worth £1.91 see here.

The challenge we face is to be able to use this evidence to make the case for sport robustly. If we dare to dream, then as sport has a physical and mental health benefit, it should therefore figure as a credible intervention in the minds and generous budgets of healthcare professionals and not be isolated in low budget ‘ministries of fun’.

Is this an area for national government, local government or others including private sporting interests and universities?

It is an area for all of the above and more. National and local government do not have to be the providers, they can be content being the enablers. Within that enabling framework, it becomes possible for roles to be found for numerous providers as outlined below.

· The private sector (efficient and effective operation of facilities).
· Schools (delivery of high quality habit-forming sport; and increasing supply by opening up facilities to the community).
· Universities (helping to produce well-rounded employable graduates with good communication, teamwork and leadership skills).
· Employers (creating work environments conducive to the benefits of sport and physical activity, such as bike racks, showers, table tennis tables etc.).
· Health care providers to harness the preventative and curative aspects of sport for both physical and mental health.
· Local authorities (provision of facilities; transport policies that encourage walking and cycling; provision of green spaces and play spaces).

Collectively we can all achieve a great deal more through sport by working strategically rather than in a piecemeal fashion.

Join us on February 9th and 10th at the International Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre Conference to hear more insight from Professor Taylor as well as others including Marie Sallois Dembreville: Director Corporate Development, Brand and Sustainability with the  International Olympic Committee who for the past two years has led the global consultation and stakeholder engagement to develop the IOCs ‘Framework for Sustainability and Legacy Planning’.

Aura Holohan Group, Dublin City Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council  are among more than 180 members of the Sport for Business community.  If you would like to discuss the benefits of joining them as a member contact us today and let’s see what we might achieve together…

Sport for Business will be live at Dublin City University this afternoon for the second day of a major international conference looking at the present and future of sports facilities.

Leading figures from the International Olympic Committee, The Hallam Sport Industry research Centre in the UK and others will be delivering keynote conversations and insight on the value of investment in sporting infrastructure.

The event is being hosted in Ireland by Gar Holohan and his Aura Leisure Group.  Holohan has been a leading player in sports architecture and development and it has been a major coup to bring this event to Ireland.

Read our interview with Peter Taylor on the Value of Investing in Sport

Minister of State Patrick O’Donovan addressed the first day of the Conference yesterday.

Rob Hartnett from Sport for Business will chair today’s final session involving the marketing of sport in a digital age with David Minton looking at how technology is impacting on the promotion of the leisure industry.

Industry figures including David Conway from the National Sports Campus, Ireland Active, Catherine Carthy of Tralee Institute of Technology and a wide range of private and local authority sports facility experts will be in the Helix Theatre.

Aura Leisure, Sport Ireland and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport are all members of the Sport for Business Community.

Sport Ireland will reveal today the funding packages that will be made available to Irish sport’s governing bodies, high performance programmes and elite athletes.

It is indeed bizarre that we still exist in an age when funding for this year is announced in the fourth month but the battle to move to a multi year cycle of funding has yet to be won.

Today’s announcements will be logical, carefully thought through and based upon finding a medium ground between what sports have pitched for and say they need versus what is available.

As with any allocation of funding there will be some who will be happy, others less so.  Sport for Business will be there to talk to both and provide analysis on what is being made available.

The day will also double up as the publication of Sport Ireland’s review of Ireland’s performance at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2016.

Impact

This will be about events on the track, in the pool and ‘between the lines’ of sport.  It is unlikely to touch much upon the events that blew up around the management of the Olympic Council of Ireland in advance and on the ground though it will be interesting to see what lines are drawn between the impact of one on the other.

The Minister, Patrick O’Donovan will be there, as well as Sport Ireland Chair Kieran Mulvey, CEO John Treacy and the Director of High Performance and National Governing Bodies Paul McDermott.

Sport Ireland High Performance committee Member Olive Loughnane will be a voice representing the athletes.

Four years ago, in the cycle immediately following the previous Olympic Games the total investment in High Performance was revealed as €8.6 million with €19.3 million in core funding for the NGB’s.

It will be interesting to see how those figures have changed over the intervening four years, who are the winner and losers and where sport is heading in 2017.

The Federation of Irish Sport is hosting its fifth Annual Conference on May 31st. This year’s event will be looking at the core issue of funding and how the nature of investment in Irish sport can be looked at from a different perspective.

The keynote address will be delivered by Sara Liebscher, Director of Athletic Advancement at the University of Notre Dame.  Liebscher’s role involves fundraising for the development of the University’s world leading athletics programme and she will be offering valuable insight on the totally different way in which College Sport in the US reaches out through philanthropy rather than government subvention to keep programmes vibrant and well funded.

To put it in perspective College programmes in the US would have budgets of up to $160 million, or three times the annual sports budget distributed by Sport Ireland in core funding.  That’s for one college.

How they go about raising that kind of money and the philosophy that underpins the effort will be a fascinating taste of ‘what could be’ for for Irish sport.

Liebschers’s motto, from when she was capyain of the University Basketball team and which she adopted from her coach at the time Muffet McGraw is “Don’t give up until you get where you want to be.”  Wise words indeed.

This year’s Federation Conference will be held in the Havelock Suite at the Aviva Stadium and will run from 1230 to 6pm.

The event aims to give an opportunity for both the National Governing Bodies of Sport and the Local Sports Partnerships to share ideas, learn from expert panels, network, meet industry experts and engage in lively debate.

Among the others who will be speaking at the Conference are Jack Gleeson ,Executive Director, The Irish Sailing Foundation; James Wynne , Client Director – Onside Sponsorship Consultants;  Dennis O’Connor, Director, 2into 3; Warren Deutrom, CEO – Cricket Ireland; Ciaran Gallagher, CEO – Gymnastics Ireland and Paul Green, Honorary General Treasurer Irish Judo.

Tickets for the Federation Conference can be bought here.

The Annual Conference of the Federation of Irish Sport takes place at the Aviva Stadium and Sport for Business will be there alongside the leadership of most of Ireland’s sporting organisations to look at the primary issue of investment in Sport.

Jack Gleeson, Executive Director of the Irish Sailing Foundation will discuss how his sport has begun the reach towards new streams of philanthropic funding to bolster its programmes.  He will be joined in a panel discussion on the subject by Denis O’Connor, Director of 2 Into 3 and a key mover in how sport and philanthropy should be working closer together and James Wynne, the newly appointed Client Services Director of Onside Sponsorship.

Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan will take time out from the Fine Gael Leadership campaign and the sparks flying around the Irish Amateur Boxing Association over high performance, team selection and funding to get the conference under way at lunchtime.

O’Donovan is one of those politicians not afraid to call an issue as he sees it and with the boxing row leading to threats of withdrawn funding his words today will be keenly measured on whether progress has been or is likely to be made.

The keynote address will be delivered by Sara Liebscher, Director of Athletic Advancement at the University of Notre Dame.  Liebscher’s role involves fundraising for the development of the University’s world leading athletics programme and she will be offering valuable insight on the totally different way in which College Sport in the US reaches out through philanthropy rather than government subvention to keep programmes vibrant and well funded.

Join Us In November for a new Sports Club Roadshow looking at the Business of Local Sport

To put it in perspective College programmes in the US would have budgets of up to $160 million, or three times the annual sports budget distributed by Sport Ireland in core funding.  That’s for one college.

How they go about raising that kind of money and the philosophy that underpins the effort will be a fascinating taste of ‘what could be’ for for Irish sport.

Among the leaders of Irish sport who will be taking keen notes on what is said before adding their own thoughts on a second panel discussion are Warren Deutrom, CEO of Cricket Ireland; Ciaran Gallagher, CEO of Gymnastics Ireland, Susan Moloney from the Irish Olympic Handball Association and and Paul Green, Honorary General Treasurer of Irish Judo.

The day provides an opportunity for sport to come together and discover ways in which it can ensure off the field performance in committee rooms can match to sporting performances of the past week especially in Rowing and Modern Pentathlon where European and World Championship wins have been recorded.

With vibrancy in the sports marketing world and new partnerships forming linking sport and business ever closer there could hardly be a better time to talk, and act.

Join us through the afternoon on twitter @SportForBusines and join the conversation at #IreSport

Join us at the studios of RTÉ on June 14th for a morning of learning about how brands, sport and media are developing new partnerships in an era dominated by sports and brand led content.

ParkRun reaches out to an ever greater number of recreational runners in Ireland and an area which may be under consideration in the future by organisers, sponsors VHI, Sport Ireland and our Own National Lottery could be the #TeamParkRun events taking place across Britain on August 19th.

Over there the National Lottery, UK Sport and parkrun UK are inviting the nation to join Britain’s top athletes at #teamparkrun events.

According to organisers, the series of events will “celebrate the public’s support of elite and community sport through playing The National Lottery by having the nation’s sporting heroes take to parkrun events across the UK to volunteer and inspire the nation to get active.”

#teamparkrun will also be backed by Sport England, Sport Scotland, Sport Wales, Sport Northern Ireland, the British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association, as well as a host of national governing bodies, and follows on from the success of I am Team GB last year, which inspired nearly 1 million people to take part in the nation’s biggest ever sports day.

I Am Team GB was designed to celebrate the success of Britain’s athletes at the Rio 2016 Games.  That’s probably a better way than any number of receptions.

On 19 August 2017, following the IPC and IAAF World Athletics Championships, hosted in the iconic London Stadium which was the epicentre of the London 2012 Games, National Lottery-funded athletes from across various Olympic and Paralympic sports will take to parks across the UK to act as volunteer Tail Walkers, who ensure that no one ever finishes last at a parkrun event.

Related: VHI Signs Up to Five Year Park Run Deal

National Lottery players have been backing Britain’s record-breaking Olympic and Paralympic athletes for 21 years this year, and to say ‘thank you’ to all these players, athletes will be taking up the role as Tail Walkers to get right behind the nation as they try parkrun for the very first time – either walking, jogging, running or volunteering themselves – with a view to starting their journey to a more healthy, active lifestyle.

Over 630 parkruns (5k) and junior parkruns (2k) take place every weekend across the UK, and are a free, sociable and highly accessible way for everyone to take their first steps towards a more active lifestyle, whether they choose to walk, jog, run or volunteer the first time they go along.

“The nation, and especially National Lottery players, have been backing us as athletes for 21 years now and none of us would be where we are today without their support,” said Chair of UK Sport Dame Katherine Grainger.

“While sport and activity are integral to our lifestyles, we know that for some people taking up activity for the first time can be a scary prospect. parkrun offers a free, friendly and welcoming way to start, and our athletes will be there on August 19 to make any newcomers feel extra welcome.

“One of the most common reasons that people register with parkrun but don’t go on to take part is because they don’t feel capable of running 5k,” added Nick Pearson, CEO of ParkRun in the UK.

“This initiative will reinforce the message that not only do we encourage walkers at parkrun, but that all of our events have volunteer Tail Walkers who provide support along the course.”

The Irish National Lottery is a major driver of funding for sport here but in doing so through the general Department of Finance, rarely gets the recognition for sport as one of its good causes.  Perhaps looking to what is after all the parent company of the lottery in the UK might yield a way to make that link more obvious…

The detail of how sport has fared in the 2018 budget became much clearer yesterday as Ministers Shane Ross and Brendan Griffin, together with officials from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport unveiled the wins that had been achieved.

Primary among them in terms of a headline project was confirmation that €16 million had been set aside for the construction of a new National Indoor Velodrome and National Badminton Centre at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus for completion in 2021.

This will follow on from the money already set aside to complete phase two of the National Indoor Arena, comprising covered artificial pitches primarily for the use of GAA, Rugby and Soccer but able to accommodate all field sports.

This will be delivered over the next two years with an opening date of 2019 already inked in.

In an expression of long-term commitment to major sporting projects, it was also revealed that a new large-scale sports infrastructure fund was being established with €50 million set aside to assist with major projects.

Over the next twelve months, a formal process will be designed to accept expressions of interest. Those who are accepted as being of sufficient scale and importance will go to a full cost/benefit analysis and model testing.

The fund has been created to set a framework for the development of projects which may include the stadium redevelopment at the RDS or for a National Cricket Stadium, both of which projects are likely to be poring over the detail of what will be required as it emerges.

The third major positive to emerge from the Budget briefing was the doubling of the money to be made available to smaller capital projects.

This is good news for those 2,320 applicants who made submissions in the round that closed earlier in 2017.

It was revealed yesterday that the total value of the projects submitted came to €155 million and the department fought to raise the amount of money that will be distributed from an original €30 Million to a new ceiling of €60 Million.

“There has been a clear and visible benefit to the Capital Sports Programme down the years,” said Minister of State for Sport Brendan Griffin.

“The strength of the submissions currently with the department gave us the determination to fight hard for a doubling of the money based on what it would deliver across the country and across so many clubs and sports.”

“We will shortly announce detail of how €56 Million will be distributed to local projects and another €4 Million to larger regional and national projects.”

“This will clear so many of the projects that deserve support and open the way for fresh applications in years to come as well.”

These big wins in the capital; spending arena will be tempered by a less than hoped for increase in terms of programme funding for National Governing Bodies and High-Performance Sport and no sign yet, at least formally of a multi-annual approach towards funding.

The 2018 amount to be distributed through Sport Ireland will be €48.5 Million, an increase of €1.5 Million on last year most of which will go towards three key areas.

The Gaelic Players Association deal will see around €700,000 set aside towards programmes and projects. €500,000 of support has been allocated towards the Irish Open Golf which will take place in Ballyliffin in County Donegal next year and €192,000 has been set aside specifically for the development of Women’s soccer through the FAI.

That will leave funding for National Governing Bodies, high performance and Local Sports Partnerships broadly in line with the current year and emphasising further the need to spread the base of funding through means of commercial or philanthropic development.

There will be disappointed over this given the strong emphasis on the need for long-term thinking oft-expressed within high-performance circles but there is no official response as yet and care will be needed to recognise the wins achieved elsewhere.

“The question of multi-annual funding was raised and explored but in terms of current spending that is a difficult part of very complex negotiations.”

“In terms of the national position now than we were at this stage of the last two four year cycles towards London and Rio and it is more likely to look at this as being a platform for future years funding rather than a figure we will have to fight hard to retain.”

The battle between capital and current is always seen through different perspectives, as is that between high performance and participation.

The capital wins achieved and announced yesterday will add to the sporting infrastructure of the country and deliver long-term benefit.

“The Government is convinced of the huge benefits, in terms of inclusion, health, wellbeing and child development, that arise from sport,” confirmed Minister Shane Ross who will also shortly oversee the publication of a new National Policy on Sport that will move the debate along again.

Yesterday was a winning day for sport. It did not achieve everything that everybody called for and wanted but that’s life, and especially that’s politics.

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The Government has made an additional €2.9 million available to programmes aimed at delivering elements of the National Physical Activity Plan.

The money, from the Dormant Accounts Fund, will be targeted at disadvantaged communities and will be administered by Sport Ireland.

“The funding of €2.9m being announced today will support the delivery of sport and physical activity initiatives across the country under the National Physical Activity Plan,” said Minister of State for Sport and Tourism, Brendan Griffin.

“The comprehensive programme of initiatives supported through this funding allocation will give people with disabilities and those from socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to take part in sport and physical activity.”

“This range of initiatives is as a result of close cooperation between my department, Sport Ireland, the Local Sports Partnership Network and the National Governing Bodies for Sport.”

Among the initiatives that were revealed are nine new Community Sport and Physical Activity Hubs (CSPAH), along with support for thirteen existing CSPAH’s.

The new Hubs will be in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown at the Beckett Sports Centre (pictured above), Fingal in Balbriggan, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Longford, Mayo, Meath and Sligo. Each will benefit to the tune of €70,000 worth of funding.

The objective of the CSPAH’s is to bring local people together and provide a home for local clubs and sports organisations.

The Hubs provide information, support, and advice on a wide range of sports and physical activities to make it easier for people in disadvantaged areas to get involved in and engage in a more active and healthier lifestyle.

“Previous rounds of investment through the Dormant Accounts Fund have had a real impact on local communities and sports organisations across Ireland,” said Sport Ireland Chairman Kieran Mulvey.

“In particular, the Community Sport and Physical Activity Hubs have delivered programmes and opportunities which make it easier for people to get involved in and engage in a more active and healthier lifestyle.”

“This investment allows Sport Ireland, in conjunction with the National Governing Bodies for Sport and the Local Sports Partnerships, play a lead role in making sure that more people are more active on a regular basis,” said John Treacy, Sport Ireland CEO.

Around €100,000 will be made available to each of the Get Ireland Cycling, Running and Swimming programmes and €125,000 to Get Ireland Walking.

€484,000 will be made available to 20 National Governing Bodies for specific programmes ranging from a Coach Education Development Plan for Vision Sport Ireland; a Riding for the Disabled Programme for Horse Sport Ireland; Gaelic4Teens run by the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and a number of others.

Sport for Business will highlight a number of these programmes, which may appeal to commercial or philanthropic backers to bring to scale, over the coming weeks.

The findings of the tenth annual Sport Ireland Strategic, Planning, Evaluation and Knowledge (SPEAK) Report on the national network of Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) were also published today.

Join us tomorrow when we look at these, and the expenditure of €17.2 Million in greater detail.

In 2018 Sport for Business will host 20 events linking sport and business in ways that make a difference to how we all do such a great job

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1,726 Volunteers in sports clubs across Ireland slept well last night in the knowledge that their efforts to secure Government funding for projects that matter to their communities have been given the green light.

Ministers Shane Ross and Brendan Griffin were able to shower money totalling more than €55 million on ideas that will cost between a few hundred euros and north of €150,000.

They are spread across every county in Ireland and more than 50 sports.  The figure is double what was originally planned in this round in a move which was announced in the fine detail of the budget in October and covered at the time on Sport for Business.

All the valid applications recieved during the process in 2016 were given at least something towards making the dream of a new clubhouse, a new pitch or the purchase of a brand new ride on mower into a reality.

Biggest Winners

GAA Clubs are the biggest winners, a reflection of their spread and reach into so many communities.  They wil benefit from funding of €23.47 million though it is interesting looking down the list of projects at how many are involving community based facilities including walking tracks and other elements central to Government plans to get more people moving.

Football will benefit to the tune of €7.25 Million while Rugby will share €3.1 Million across 60 clubs.

Sport for Business will analyse the sport by sport benefits next week and compare this to previous years.

There is always an argument from sporting bodies that the investment of capital needs to be leveraged by similar support for programmes.

This was echoed again in the reaction yesterday of the Federation of Irish Sport, representing sporting governing bodies.

Endorsement

Welcoming the news of the extra funds as a strong positive Chairman Roddy Guiney went on to say that “We see the Sports Capital Grant programme as an endorsement of An Taoiseach’s stated commitment to doubling funding for sport over a seven-year period.”

“It is, however, vital that the investment in infrastructure is matched by investment in people and programmes in order to ensure that all of the new or enhanced facilities deliver to their full potential for Irish Sport.”

“For that to happen future budgets must begin the complementary process of restoring the funds for current expenditure on sport. “

“These are the funds that enable Sport Ireland and our members – the National Governing Bodies and the Local Sports Partnerships – to create the necessary programmes to ensure facilities all over the country realise their full potential.”

The Ministers were focused on today rather than tomorrow though and it’s not often that such a bonanza can be spread to so many projects in sport.

“This is a great day for Irish sport,” said Minister Shane Ross.

“When we originally invited applications under the scheme, we had just €30m to allocate and the record level of applications would have left a large number of good projects unsupported and many clubs disappointed.”

“Happily, following the conclusion of budget discussions, I was delighted to secure the required additional resources to enable me to allocate €56m in total to local sports clubs and organisations throughout the country.”

“The net result of this is that we are able to provide financial assistance towards over 1700 different projects all over the country.”

“The benefits of participating in sport are well documented, for both physical and mental health, and these new grants for local clubs will help us in our overall objective of getting as many people participating in sport as possible.”

Local Pride

“The grants are also excellent news for our communities both rural and urban, as club sport is a superb way to bolster local pride, affinity and inclusion.”

“Anybody with even a passing interest in sport will be aware of the importance of the Sports Capital Programme and the difference it has made to practically every community both large and small in the country,” added Minister Brendan Griffin.

“The €56 million in grants which we have announced will ensure that this excellent work continues and will ensure that the backlog of schemes which were awaiting funding can be cleared.”

“In the region of 50 different sports benefitted from the grants announced today and every county has benefitted substantially from the extra resources we secured.”

“While the individual grants vary from a few hundred euros to €150,000, every single one of the grants can make a significant difference to their community. I want to commend the many volunteers for their efforts in submitting the applications and I look forward to seeing their efforts coming to fruition in the coming months.”

The positive mood was evident in the reaction of sports bodies including the Confederation of Irish Golf.

“This is a real boost for golf clubs in the Republic of Ireland,” said Redmond O’Donoghue, Chairman of the CGI.

“The funding confirmed today by the Ministers will directly benefit 64 member clubs and more than 20,000 golf club members. It also represents a six-fold increase on the supports provided to golf clubs in the last Sports Capital Programme.”

“It is pleasing to see athletics allocated close to €1million which will greatly assist our clubs in the continued development of our sport,” said Atheltics Ireland CEO John Foley.

“The facilities for athletics continue to improve in all parts of Ireland. In 2016 the opening of the National Indoor Track was a major initiative in the development of athletics and today’s announcement is a further positive step in copper-fastening our growth aspirations.”

In 2018 Sport for Business will host 20 events linking sport and business in ways that make a difference to how we all do such a great job, as well as producing our Daily News Digest covering the commercial world of Irish sport.

With €50 Million being distributed for Capital Sports Grants in the latest round of Government funding, understanding the landscape of how to apply and how to succeed are a vital part of how clubs need to consider their own facility planning.

Sport for business partner 2Into3 recently hosted a session for 15 clubs across Cricket Leinster looking into the opportunities and the pitfalls of the application process.

With Government intent on maintaining the Sports Capital Programme in 2018, planning for the next round is vital.

Read more :  Capital Windfall for 1,700 Clubs

The Sports Capital Grant Masterclass was attended by 23 representatives from 15 Cricket Leinster clubs.

Participants were given an in-depth look at the Sports Capital landscape, analysing the performance of cricket compared to other sports, while also analysing the performance of Cricket Leinster clubs.

The high rates of invalidity of applications across clubs and sports were addressed while there were guidelines given on how to strengthen proposals.

A follow-up meeting for clubs based on the ways in which they can develop different fundraising strategies will take place next Wednesday for the clubs of Leinster cricket.

Next week Sport for Business and 2Into3 will announce details of a special roadshow for clubs in one of our major sports taking place in the near future.

Finding ways to help clubs to help themselves is a key way of how National Governing Bodies and Regional units can give practical help and assistance to the individual clubs on which the sporting infrastructure is based.

It’s great to be part of a group that is doing just that across multiple sports for the common good.

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Irish Rugby was celebrating on Saturday after securing the NatWest 6 Nations Championship for the 14th time in history, and the first time with still one game to go.

The celebration will last longer than a week as well with the prize money structure for the tournament meaning that there will be a minimum €5 Million boost again in the accounts when they are unveiled for the year ending this April, in July.

If victory over England and a historic third ever Grand Slam can be secured that would mean an extra €1 Million at least in addition.

Four years ago the Rugby income for the IRFU leapt €5.5 Million after what was reported in the Annual Accounts as strong ticket sales and a ‘better than budgeted performance in the 6 Nations.

The four year cycle has been repeated and with International Rugby income having climbed last year to €37.9 Million, this boost it would be hoped will nudge that number beyond €40 Million for the first time ever.

That would provide a firm foundation on which to grow the sport at club and provincial level and feed into continued success in the International sphere.

Joe Schmidt will never be one for looking too far ahead but for those who run the sport as opposed to the team, that has to be the horizon and in 2018 that looks brighter than we might have envisioned a mere four months ago when the prospect of hosting a Rugby World Cup slipped away.

Read More: Report on IRFU Annual Report 2016/17

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The Federation of Irish Sport has teamed up with Clann Credo, a charity that provides loan finance to community projects nationwide. Clann Credo recently announced details of a dedicated community sports loan fund of €10 Million.

They have partnered with the Federation of Irish Sport to promote the availability of the fund to the Irish Sports Community, to assist in the financing of development or improvements to training facilities, clubhouses or the purchasing of equipment.

The Federation of Irish Sport and Clann Credo Community Sport Loan Partnership will allow sports clubs to access loans of up to €500,000 without the need for personal guarantees.

The interest rates charged by Clann Credor currently range from 4.95 to 6.75 percent and loans are typically repaid over between two and fifteen years.

Funded

The organisation has funded over 100 voluntary sports clubs and community-managed sports facilities since it was created in 1996. Cherry Orchard Football Club, based in Ballyfermot, Dublin was one of the clubs that availed of a Community Loan from Clann Credo in 2016 to facilitate the development of an all-weather pitch.

Other projects to receive loans include Cork Boat Club, Achill GAA Club and Tullow Tennis Club.

These loans helped these clubs to maximise the impact of Sports Capital grants from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and spread the upfront cost of the investment over time.

The Sports Capital Programme is the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport’s primary means of providing Government funding to community-based sports organisations. The programme has a hugely positive impact, facilitating the development or upgrade of sports facilities nationwide.

€50 million of funding through the Sports Capital Programme for 2018 was announced by the Department before Christmas with another round likely to be opened up in the near future.

These grant schemes generally require clubs to pay for the project up front before drawing the grant. This is a real challenge to clubs who don’t have access to the necessary finance in advance. In addition, clubs are often asked to provide evidence of matched funding to qualify for a grant which can be difficult for sports clubs who don’t already have the funds raised.

Guarantees

Banks in these circumstances often look for personal guarantees from the club’s committee members who are volunteers, creating a barrier to finance for sports clubs in these circumstances. Clann Credo’s process removes the requirement for those guarantees.

The application process is user-friendly with the focus in determining suitability for a loan being the impact of the project on the club and the community it serves as well as the ability to repay.

“The 12,000 sports clubs nationwide play a vital role in communities right around Ireland,” said Federation of Irish Sport CEO Mary O’Connor.

“Ensuring adequate facilities are available and once available, are maintained and upgraded appropriately is a real challenge. Access to finance for clubs given their voluntary and not for profit nature through traditional financing channels usually doesn’t work so we are delighted that through this partnership we can highlight the availability of this tailored community funding scheme to Irish Sporting Organisations and their clubs.”

“Sport makes up a significant portion of Ireland’s not for profit sector and with more than 500,000 Irish adults volunteering, sport is the single biggest driver of volunteerism in Ireland,” added Paul O’Sullivan, Chief Executive of Clann Credo.

“We are delighted to partner with the Federation of Irish Sport, as the representative body for Ireland’s National Sporting Organisations, to build on Clann Credo’s mission of providing finance to community groups throughout Ireland.”

“This much-needed, dedicated fund will allow Ireland’s sports clubs to maximise the funding channels available to them to develop and upgrade their facilities and purchase equipment, all vital in ensuring communities have the opportunity to participate in sporting activities.”

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Five Olympic and seven Paralympic Athletes are to get the maximum Sport Ireland funding of €40,000 this year after the individual grants were announced yesterday at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus.

They are at the top of a pyramid which consists of an overall 90 athletes who will get grants ranging from their ‘Podium’ Level through ‘World Class’ at €20,000 and ‘International’ at €12,000.

The three different categories are intended as a reflection of the athlete’s opportunity to feature as a medallist, finalist or contender at major championships this year.

The five Olympic athletes to win the top level of funding are Thomas Barr in Athletics, Annalise Murphy in Sailing, Joe Ward in Boxing, Gary and Paul O’Donovan in Rowing.

Paralympic athletes to secure the same level include Jason Smyth, Michael McKillop, Niamh McCarthy, Noelle Lenihan, Orla Barry and Ellen Keane. Katie-George Dunleavy and Eve McCrystal get a joint grant of €60,000.

There is a specific set of grants totalling €200,000 which will go towards the Team Ireland Golf Scheme. This grant is awarded to the Confederation of Golf in Ireland for the running and administration of the Scheme.

Sport Ireland’s investment in this Scheme facilitates direct player support of €130,000, ranging from €4,000 to €20,000 across a panel of 12 players, and indirect player support including the Challenge Tour Event and the provision of a training base in Quinta do Lago, Portugal.

Gavin Moynihan and Stephanie Meadow will receive the largest individual grants within this scheme of €20,000.

Read more including reaction to the Team Ireland Golf Grants

In terms of a sport by sport breakdown, the success of Paralympic athletes on a global stage is reflected in their total grants of €352,000 over 14 athletes.

Cycling comes next with €250,000 to 11 individuals and two team grants.

Rowing takes the bronze with nine athletes and one programme being awarded €212,000.

Athletics has 11 individuals garnering €184,000, while boxing has ten in receipt of €174,000. Swimming gets four ‘World Class grants, including for Oliver Dingley and Mona McSharry, in a total of €152,000

Sailing is the only other sport to breach €100,000, while Gymnastics, Taekwondo, Judo, Triathlon, Table Tennis, Pentathlon, Shooting, Badminton and Canoeing also share in the overall funding.

A grant of €45,000 has been set aside for Hockey Ireland with a note that discussions are ongoing with a view to enhancing this as both the Men’s and Women’s teams prepare for major Championships this year.

€50,000 of the 2018 funding has been retained to be allocated at a later stage in the year.

In addition to the direct investment, athletes will have access to science, medicine and lifestyle support services at Sport Ireland Institute.

“Today’s substantial investment through the International Carding Scheme will support our most talented sports people and I want to commend every athlete who has qualified for funding in 2018,” said Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin.

“They have earned the support through exceptional performances and they are excellent ambassadors for Irish Sport as they continue to represent our country around the world.”

“I also welcome the investment in the Team Ireland Golf Scheme which supports our golfers. Golf plays a significant role in Irish Sport and is also very significant from a tourism perspective. Events such as the 2018 Irish Open, which will be hosted in Ballyliffin Golf Club in Donegal, continue to promote Ireland as a golf tourism destination.”

The International Carding Scheme will continue to evolve under the direction of the Performance Director of each sport throughout this Tokyo cycle and beyond.

Earlier this year Sport Ireland announced €7m to be invested directly into the high-performance programmes of 20 National Governing Bodies. Investment will also be made to the Olympic Council of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland. At the end of 2017, the Minister announced €380k in targeted funding for major events due to take place in 2018, with €320k of this allocated to 4 high-performance sports.

“2017 was an excellent year for Irish sport with impressive European and World performances at senior and junior level,” added Sport Ireland Chairman Kieran Mulvey.

“In order to sustain this success, it is vital that our athletes are well supported. The Tokyo Games are just on the horizon with qualification getting underway.”

“Sport Ireland will continue to work closely with the Olympic Council and Paralympics Ireland and continue to provide support as we build up to the 2020 Games.”

Join us for a special Business of Cycling Breakfast in Dublin on April 11th when we will hear the inspiring story of Peter Ryan’s journey from Tipperary to Rio and explore the possibilities that cycling offers to individuals and the Business community. Find out more here.

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Image Credit: Brendan Moran, Sportsfile

Sport Ireland completed a week of financial announcements yesterday with the unveiling of the 2018 investment package of over €6.07m to support the national network of Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs).

A total of €6,074,333 will be allocated to support the core work of the 29 LSPs; including the delivery of National Programmes, Education & Training initiatives, Strategic Development, Community Sports Development Officers, the Sports Inclusion Disability programme, Women in Sport Programmes and general participation programmes.

“The role of the Local Sports Partnerships in increasing participation, particularly among those sectors of society that are underrepresented in sport, cannot be overstated,” said Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin.

“I want to commend the vital work they do which makes a substantial contribution to the health and welfare of individuals, communities and the nation.”

“The significant Government investment announced today will allow the Sports Partnerships to continue to provide many sporting opportunities for people in local communities right across Ireland.”

Rob Hartnett of Sport for Business is Chairman of the Dublin City Sports and Wellbeing Partnership, which undertakes the role of the LSP in Dublin.

“The key aims of the LSPs are to increase levels of participation in sport especially amongst specific target groups such as older people, girls & women, people with disabilities, unemployed people, and those who live in identified disadvantaged communities.”

“Dublin City Council funds a team of Sports Officers to deliver these programmes and while the money from Sport Ireland is but a small fraction of the overall spend it is vital to make sure that the right resource is there for the biggest centre of population in the country.”

To ensure that people with disabilities are provided with the opportunity to participate in sport and physical activity, 21 LSPs will be supported with Sports Inclusion Disability Officers. 25 LSPs will be supported with Community Sports Development Officers, which will strengthen the capacity of the LSPs to further develop locally led plans and more long-term sustainable physical activity programmes under the National Physical Activity Plan.

“Sport Ireland has always placed a particular emphasis on ensuring sport is progressive and attracts participants from every corner of Ireland, from every age group and from all social backgrounds,” said Sport Ireland Chairman Kieran Mulvey.

“One of the fundamental principles of the Local Sports Partnerships is to remove any barrier that prevents participation in sport and today’s investment will support the LSPs in the continued roll-out of programmes and initiatives which will get more people active on a regular basis.”

Throughout 2017, 339,615 people participated in 936 participation programmes delivered locally by LSPs, with 18,000 participants taking part in the Operation Transformation 5k Fun Runs and Walks and 13,063 cyclists taking part in the Sport Ireland Cycle Series.

Join us for a special Business of Cycling Breakfast in Dublin on April 11th when we will hear the inspiring story of Peter Ryan’s journey from Tipperary to Rio and explore the possibilities that cycling offers to individuals and the Business community. Find out more here.

 

2017 also saw 13,274 female participants taking part in 71 local Women in Sport programmes. This year €115,000 will be invested in LSPs through the Women in Sport Programme, which aims to raise the overall physical activity levels among women.

“In 2017, Sport Ireland successfully secured €5m in Dormant Accounts Funding, with over €2.5m directly benefiting Local Sports Partnerships projects across Ireland,” concluded John Treacy, CEO of Sport Ireland.

“Through this investment Sport Ireland will continue its work to increase participation across the country through a range of programmes and initiatives implemented by the Local Sports Partnerships. Sport Ireland warmly welcomes the support and contributions given to the Local Sports Partnership Network by statutory, community and voluntary groups right across the country.”

Here is a breakdown of how much money is going to each of the Local Sports Partnerships this year.

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Rob Hartnett of Sport for Business was a guest on Newstalk’s The Hard Shoulder with Ivan Yates yesterday talking about the complexity of ‘Fair Play’ in football.

The Financial Fair Play Rules were introduced in order to counter the temptation for clubs to rack up unsustainable debt in order to chase down the biggest prizes.

The story was kicked off by reports that Paris St Germain is being investigated by UEFA and went into detail on the potential sanctions, how the rules work and the vast levels of financial muscle that are now at play in international sport.

If Irish tourism was worth €5.8 Billion in 2017, who is to say that the reported €120 Million paid to PSG by the Qatar Tourism Authority is above fair value, the crux of the matter in connection to the unfolding story in Paris

You can listen back to the interview here on the Newstalk website in Part 1 of the Hard Shoulder, 32 minutes into the programme. (At the top of the page)

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A new round of Sports Capital Funding is expected to be announced as early as next month and is likely to be worth at least €25 million for projects around the country.

Since 1998 the amount given over to the development of sporting infrastructure at local level has come in at just under €1 billion and Minister for Sport Brendan Griffin is looking forward to breaching that figure in 2018.

“We are hoping to publish our ten-year strategy for Sport in Ireland in the next few weeks,” he said launching the Irish Sports Monitor in Dublin.

“A lot of work has gone into this and it is something we want to get full buy-in from across the sector and the country.”

“We also hope to publish details of the next round of the Sports Capital Programme.”

“An important change this time around will be to give people a chance not to fall short on technicalities. The number of invalid applications has fallen to 20 percent but we still want that to go lower and not to fall on minor infractions of the guidelines.”

“There is already an advantage given to applications from areas of social disadvantage and we want to bring that to the fore as well.”

“We currently use the Pobal social disadvantage index but we are looking at other indicators as well and we want it to be as fair as possible and to give money to communities for whom without it there is no chance of alternative provision of facilities.”

“This programme is of huge benefit to communities and clubs. Getting it wrong in a small way can lead to real strife in clubs among volunteers who might have given their lives to a club but who are judged on something which could simply be put right and unlock money for their ambitions.”

“It’s a great programme which has created a real legacy. We want it to be as fair as possible and give everyone a chance to benefit.”

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Image Credit: Bryan Keane, Inpho Photography