Feb 23, 2024
Final preparations are underway for our upcoming awards, celebrating the countless volunteers who make sport happen across the country, week in week out. We are delighted to welcome back Sports Broadcaster Gráinne McElwain as the host of the 2023 Volunteers in Sport Awards. An avid sports fan and proud volunteer, Gráinne is the secretary of the local basketball club Cumann Cispheile na nGael ( club for girls and boys U10 and U12). Previously she was the Oifigeach Gaeilge for local GAA club Naomh Anna Leitir Móir and served on the Coiste for 5 years.
A sports and entertainment presenter with over 15 years experience working with Sky Sports, TG4, RTÉ, and BBC, Gráinne is the current anchor of GAAGO and was the presenter of Sky Sports GAA championship coverage aswell as Ladies football Peil na mBan Beo on TG4. A native of Monaghan, she is a fluent Irish speaker and is a columnist with the Irish News and Seachtain in the Irish Independent newspapers.
We look forward to hearing from all our Volunteers and enjoying Gráínne’s warm and unique interviewing style.
22 March 2023; Michael Cox from Park Rangers AFC, Waterford, is interviewed by MC Gráinne McElwain
22 March 2023; MC Gráinne McElwain interviews Marie Thompson from Abbeyleix Hockey Club, Laois.
Oct 5, 2023
We’re continuing to share our member CEO views on our Asks of Government in Budget 2024. Under Action 3.7 of the Sports Policy Action Plan the Federation was tasked with presenting the business case for reforms to the taxation policy. These recommendations have been set these out in our Pre-Budget Submission under the following headings:
- Extending relief donations to approved sporting bodies
- VAT relief for sporting bodies
- Granting of charitable status to those NGBs and LSPs who wish to pursue that option
- Tax-driven incentives for personal exercise
We asked member CEOs: Would a change in VAT or Taxation Reform have a positive impact on your sport?
Here’s what Basketball Ireland CEO John Feehan had to say about VAT:
The Government has committed to doubling funding to sport over the ten-year life of the National Sports Policy, and while it has risen incrementally, the reality is that since 2021 the real value of core funding for NGBs has been eroded by inflation and other costs of doing business.
In this clip Michelle Carpenter, CEO of Rowing Ireland highlights the operational costs to her sporting organisation.
Click on the image below to read the Submission in more detail.
Oct 4, 2023
Click on image to play
NGBs and LSPs strongly support the call for the increase in core funding to meet the operational challenges and business costs in the current climate
Members of the Federation of Irish Sport gathered today at Irish Sport HQ at the National Sports Campus to hear details of the Pre-Budget Submission made to Government on behalf of the Sports sector.
Federation CEO Mary O’Connor highlighted the four key Asks of Government with the top priority being an Increase in Core Funding for National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships. Arising from the meeting of member CEO’s and Coordinators, it became evident of the urgent need to retain staff and having sufficient personnel to implement organisation operational plans and National Sport Policy programmes to increase participation and encourage lifelong participation in sport and physical activity.
Oct 3, 2023
They have highlighted four key asks of Government with the top priority being an increase in core funding for governing bodies and local sports.
The federation is also calling for taxation reform, as well as the raising of the betting levy from 2% to 3%, and accelerating insurance reform.
“I think we all understand that there are unprecedented demands on the Government for this budget and also that there needs to be fiscal prudence around it,” said Swim Ireland CEO and president of the Olympic Council, Sarah Keane, speaking to RTE Sport.
“But I think for us there just seems to be a continued lack of connection between physical activity and sport and what that does for the health of the nation, and how that may be able to help impact positively on our ever growing department of health budget.
“We need people to be physically active and healthy, but for sport to do its job we need to be better funded,” she added.
Keane also highlighted the current National Sports policy, which aims for participation to rise from 43% to 60%, while adding that some of the lower profile sports have struggled since Covid times.
“Some sports have recovered incredibly well from Covid…but in an awful lot of sports, grassroots sport does not have that opportunity, and if we want to increase participation, we have to put more resources into it to the sector to do it,” said Keane.
“It is a very small figure that sport and physical activity gets compared to the wider budget, but the impact could be absolutely phenomenal on the nation.
“There is much more awareness in Irish society now about the fact that we need to be careful with what we eat, try to sleep more, watch our mental health and be physically active, but there is a disconnect between the fact that it costs to provide those opportunities.”
Also speaking at the briefing, Federation of Irish Sport CEO Mary O’Connor said: “It is important that Government do not take sport and physical activity for granted in budget 2024 and continues its commitment to the sector by increasing core funding and recognising the significant role sport and physical activity plays throughout Ireland from grass sports to high performance.”
Enda Lynch, CEO of Badminton Ireland added: “Staff on one-year contracts, without pensions or health insurance etc. is not sustainable – and without the brilliant people currently working in sport, we simply won’t succeed. An increase in core funding that is reflective of NGB’s looking to do the best for their staff is critical.”
Oct 3, 2023
NGBs and LSPs strongly support the call for the increase in core funding to meet the operational challenges and business costs in the current climate
Members of the Federation of Irish Sport gathered today at Irish Sport HQ at the National Sports Campus to hear details of the Pre-Budget Submission made to Government on behalf of the Sports sector.
Federation CEO Mary O’Connor highlighted the four key Asks of Government with the top priority being an Increase in Core Funding for National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships. Arising from the meeting of member CEO’s and Coordinators, it became evident of the urgent need to retain staff and having sufficient personnel to implement organisation operational plans and National Sport Policy programmes to increase participation and encourage lifelong participation in sport and physical activity.
In addition to the main Ask relating to Core Funding, the other priorities for the sector include Taxation Reform under Action 3.7 of the National Sports Policy, Raising the Betting Levy from 2% to 3% and an Acceleration of Insurance Reform.
Tasked with driving Action 3.7 of the National Sports Policy the Federation worked closely with Byran Hughes Senior Associate at A&L Goodbody and supported by economist Jim Power, to submit a report to Government which contains a number of tax expenditure reforms, which at their core seek to make sporting organisations more self-sustainable and less reliant on Government grant funding in the future.
Speaking at the briefing A&L Goodbody Senior Associate Bryan Hughes commented: “In assisting FIS with submissions to the relevant Government Ministers, we are conscious of the budgetary and legislative constraints. However, certain amendments aligned with the Sports Action Plan are possible which would go some way to achieving the policy objectives of it and the National Sports Policy.”
A number of member CEOs voiced their support of the call for an increase in core funding:
Michelle Carpenter CEO of Rowing Ireland contributed: “As we head into a significant time for many sports which in effect is a home Olympics with Paris 2024, it’s key to invest in core funding in sport to embrace and underpin the investment in high performance sport through supporting our clubs and legacies. We have incredible ambassadors that will empower and encourage a nation and we need the tools now to maximise on this.”
Enda Lynch CEO of Badminton Ireland added: “Despite the incredibly valuable role sport plays in the health and wellbeing of Irish people, and the growth in participation that successive governments have targeted, the funding necessary to help people lead healthier lives through sport is struggling to keep pace in line with inflation and associated costs of doing business. Staff on one-year contracts, without pensions or health insurance etc. is not sustainable – and without the brilliant people currently working in sport, we simply won’t succeed. An increase in core funding that is reflective of NGB’s looking to do the best for their staff is critical.”
Speaking at the briefing Federation of Irish Sport CEO Mary O’Connor said: “It is important that Government do not take sport and physical activity for granted in budget 2024 and continues its commitment to the sector by increasing core funding and recognising the significant role sport and physical activity plays throughout Ireland from grass sports to high performance.”
Pictured below R-L: Dr. Una May CEO Sport Ireland & John Feehan CEO Basketball Ireland. Bryan Hughes Senior Associate A&L Goodbody, Sarah Keane CEO Swim Ireland, Economist Jim Power, Enda Lynch CEO Badminton Ireland. Matt English CEO Special Olympics, Sarah Keane CEO Swim Ireland and Gary Stewart CEO Volleyball Ireland.
Oct 2, 2023
Changes can be made to tax system that would increase sports funding
Printed Sunday 02.10.23
I have just had a magical weekend of sport. First up was seeing almost 36,000 people at the Aviva Stadium to support our women’s soccer team fresh back from a first ever appearance at the World Cup. Then I settled down to see our men’s rugby team beat the reigning champions South Africa in the Rugby World Cup in Paris. And then on Sunday there was Leona Maguire leading Europe to glory in the Solheim Cup.
I could not help but cast my mind back to a campaign, run by the Federation of Irish Sport, over a number of years under the banner ‘Why Irish Sport Matters’, which highlighted the impact of sport in such diverse areas as health, the economy, tourism, community and our international reputation.
In any society it is accepted and proven that sport and physical activity are good for us. It teaches us, inspires us, engages us, and encourages us all to lead healthier and more active lives. It is also good for our economy. The total value of sport to the Irish economy annually is around €3.3bn. Today sport is responsible for some 64,000 jobs in Ireland.
Sport plays a vital role in our tourism sector. The return from major events such as the recent Notre Dame v Navy game was phenomenal. Our golf tourism figures are remarkable. And how can we put a value on what it does for our international reputation, and the feel-good factor for us all, here at home.
Recognising the important role played by sport in Irish life and equally recognising how government support and funding has an important role to play in the delivery of sport we have set out what we would like to see happen in the upcoming budget.
In particular we have set out what we want them to do by way of providing more finance for our members — all the national governing bodies and the local sports partnerships who between them make sport and physical activity happen in Ireland.
It is important to fully understand the role played by the NGBs and the LSPs. They are the bodies that make organised sport happen in Ireland and they do this through the 13,000 clubs across all sports that are at the heart of sport and physical activity in this country.
When the government set out its 10-year national sports policy in 2018 it recognised from the outset the pivotal role that would need to be played the NGBs and LSPs if the plan was to deliver on its objectives. In fact, such is their importance that they are the first to be listed in the key organisations mentioned in the national sports policy document.
The policy states: “The combined use of the expertise, knowledge and insight of this sporting fraternity will be essential for the successful implementation of this policy. We will therefore prioritise and enhance their funding to reflect the important contribution they make to Irish society.”
In the ‘National Sports Policy 2018-2027’, the government also recognised that if its challenging objectives were to be met then funding for sport would need to be increased substantially, and they committed to doubling it over ten years.
And we have seen a steady increase in funding to Sport Ireland, further investment in our state-of-the-art National Sports Campus, several rounds of the sports capital programme and the much-needed supports to help sport through the darkest days of Covid.
However, over the last three years inflation has had a major impact on the funds currently being provided and this has had a knock-on impact on the core funding available to both our NGBs and LSPs.
To emphasise this point, in 2022, core funding increased by 8.3 per cent, while average consumer price inflation increased by 7.8 per cent. In 2023, core funding increased by 6.7 per cent, and inflation averaged 6.2 per cent in the first half of the year.
The government invested €175m in sport in 2023 but the core funding that went to the NGBs to enable them to carry out all their essential programmes was €16m — and this is shared across 58 sports. The 29 LSPs received €9m.
The Federation of Irish Sport has made a submission to government ahead of the forthcoming Budget. We have four ‘Asks’, the most important being to take inflation and the increased cost of doing business into account in the core funding of our NGBs and LSPs. We believe this is essential if the country is to meet the targets set in the National Sports Policy.
We are realists, and we know that there are major demands on the government for funding in many different areas, particularly health and education. Having said that, a balanced approach pays off. There is a significant bank of evidence to show that the return on government investment in sport is significant. Research in 2019 showed that 97,000 cases of disease were prevented through participation in sport and physical activity and that represents a saving of €500m to the Exchequer.
Bearing in mind the demands on government, we have also looked to come up with solutions which are evidenced based where funding specific to sport might be raised by changes to the tax system — a view we believe is shared by the government.
Action 3.7 of the ‘Sports Policy Action Plan 2021-2023’ contains a number of tax expenditure reforms which at their core seek to help make sporting organisations become more self-sustainable and less reliant on government funding over time. Our members understand and welcome this ambition.
The Federation of Irish Sport was given responsibility to drive this action and we have put forward a number of business cases in this regard. These cases are underpinned by a report, which is already with government.
The proposals in the report are:
1 Extend relief on donations to approved sporting bodies.
2 Provide VAT relief for sporting bodies.
3 Grant charitable status to those NGBs and LSPs .
4 Create tax-driven incentives for personal exercise.
In particular we believe that tax incentives for personal exercise could be a major game changer for people with disabilities, which is an action set out in the government’s sports policy.
Our third ‘Ask’ in our budget submission calls on the government to increase the tax on betting and to use the extra monies generated to invest in specific areas of sport to help increase participation in hard-to-reach areas such as ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and in socially deprived areas as well as building sport and recreation infrastructure.
The final ‘Ask’ is that the government look closely at insurance reform in order to quickly reduce liability premiums to affordable levels. These reforms have been identified but they are not happening fast enough and are negatively impacting the sports sector.
Yes, as we have been saying for many years, sport matters. It deserves to be supported with more government investment. And the good news is it provides a real return on investment for every extra euro that can be provided, given that for every €100 invested there is a return of €195. To us, it’s a no-brainer.
Mary O’Connor is Chief Executive of the Federation of Irish Sport
