Following yesterday’s announcement by Sport Ireland and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport that there will be an allocation of €27m in sports grants for 2016, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport James Galvin, said:
“We at the Federation of Irish Sport warmly welcome yesterday’s news from Sport Ireland and the Department that they will be investing a total of €27m in sport this year. This is positive news for Irish sport, particularly as we are approach the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Sport investment plays a huge part in the success of our country’s National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of sport and indeed our Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs), and we will continue to work closely with the Department towards securing increases in future investment.
“Successful NGBs and LSPs provide the optimum means to implement the goals of the Healthy Ireland and National Physical Activity Plans. In addition, NGBs play a vital role in recruiting and training coaches and leaders who deliver programmes at local level, which is a key driver of increasing participation – the importance of this cannot be underestimated.
“We also acknowledge the increased investment in high performance sport and look forward to further development of this vital area. By demonstrating this commitment to our elite athletes and offering every support, we will enable our sports men and women to excel and succeed at the highest level on the international stage, enabling athletes to achieve personal bests and improve our national records year-on-year.”