Federation of Irish Sport Briefs Oireachtas Members on Urgent Funding and Policy Needs

May 29, 2025

The Federation of Irish Sport hosted an engaging high-level briefing in the AV Room of Leinster House on Wednesday 28 May, aimed at informing elected representatives of the critical structural and financial challenges facing Ireland’s sporting sector. The event hosted by Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn was very well attended by elected public representatives and their officials. 

Following the briefing Deputy James Geoghegan TD raised the question of investment in sport with Minister McConalogue.

FIS called for:

• An introduction of guaranteed year-on-year increases in newly proposed multi-annual funding model
• An establishment of a national pay framework for the professional sports workforce
• An implementation of a new1% betting levy to fund grassroot sport programmes

Sport in Ireland delivers significant public, economic, and social value, the Federation outlined a series of policy recommendations to ensure the sustainability and growth of the sector. Key voices from Ireland’s sports leadership who supported the call for action, included:

• Sarah Keane, CEO, Swimming Ireland
• Hamish Adams, CEO, Athletics Ireland
• Peter Sherrard, CEO, Olympic Federation of Ireland
• Stephen McNamara, CEO, Paralympics Ireland

Current State of Play

The current core funding model has been eroded by inflation and rising compliance costs, limiting the capacity of sports organisations to plan and scale. While Budget 2025’s 4% increase was a welcome step, it remains insufficient. The Federation welcomes the Government’s move to multi-annual funding from 2026 but insists that this funding must grow progressively to ensure stability and impact.

The Irish sports sector relies on a professional workforce. To sustain and grow the sector’s workforce, the Federation is calling for:

• A national pay framework
• A Sports Exemption Scheme, modelled on the Artists Exemption scheme.

In regard to the implementation of a new 1% betting levy to fund grassroot sport programmes, there are examples of European approaches to this, namely in France and Portugal, where levies directly fund sport infrastructure and programming at all levels. In 2023, the existing 2% betting levy generated €103 million. A new 1% levy could provide an additional €50 million annually for sport development and participation.

Federation of Irish Sport CEO Mary O’Connor said: “In order to secure the future of sport in Ireland and ensure we reach the 60% participation target set out in the National Sports Policy, we need decisive and sustained action from Government. We are calling for annual increases in core funding to reflect inflation and the real costs of the business of sport. A new 1% betting levy could provide an estimated additional €50 million annually for sport development and participation. We also need to recognise and reward the workforce that keeps our sector moving by introducing standardised pay scales and implementing a Sports Volunteer Exemption Scheme. We welcomed the opportunity provided to talk directly to elected public representatives today and I would like to thank Senator Ní Chuilinn for hosting this important sector representation and my colleagues in sport for their contribution.”

Time to Change the Focus from Buildings to People

May 28, 2025

Sunday Independent, 25th May 2025, by Cliona Foley

With all the petrodollars, gargantuan salaries, pay-per-view TV deals and prize pots sloshing around professional sport right now, it is easy to feel like business’ is becoming the new dirty word of this arena. Last week’s confirmation that Ireland will play France in a men’s Six Nations game on a Thursday next year so broadcasters can concentrate on the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics the following day feels like another victory for commerce over the paying punter. It is all a far cry from the jumpers for goalposts purity that so many of us idealise and yet the business of sport doesn’t need to stand for over-inflation or grotesque greed.

Business, with a small ‘b’, remains the lifeblood without which grassroots sports cannot thrive. Nowhere was that clearer than at the eighth annual Irish Sport Industry Awards last week, an event that rewards innovation and collaboration within members of the Federation of Irish Sport (FIS) and Irish business.
There is always some irony that the venue is a former bank, now a glitzy Dublin hotel, given that most of those present, especially the many captains of the Irish sports industry, work in not-for-profits.

Governing bodies (NGBs) exist not to make money but to further their sport. They are answerable solely to their members, not share holders. The FIS is an umbrella organisation for 81 NGBs — from big hitters like the Olympic and Paralympic Federations down to the minnows like the Coarse Fishing and Horse
Shoe Pitching Associations — plus 29 Local Sports Partnerships. An independent advocacy group, it is the key intermediary between many Irish sporting bodies and government, publicising sport’s economic and social capital and campaigning for reform of structures and funding.

FIS CEO Mary O’Connor threw out plenty of impactful figures on the night. Irish sport employs 64,000 people, is estimated to be worth €3.7 billion annually to the economy and savings of over half a billion for our health services. The FIS represents sporting bodies whose 1.47m club members provide the backbone of Irish sport by volunteering, so the benefits of sport cannot just be quantified by profit and loss columns. “Beyond the balance sheet, sport is the social glue that keeps our country together,” O’Connor stressed.

Many of the night’s winners put flesh and blood and humanity into the cheques and balances, hammering home how investment in sport, whether from government or private industry, helps to change lives. The winner of the inclusivity award was a brilliant collaboration between the Donegal Sports Partnership and local domestic violence services which is empowering some of the county’s most marginalised women and children through sport and physical activity.
What started out with a pilot group of 12 has already had 88 participants. Many of them had no previous access to sport due to cost, transport, fear or self-esteem issues. How impactful is this initiative? It has a remarkable retention rate of 100 per cent. Another winner was Canoeing Ireland’s ‘PaddleAble’ programme, which trains its coaches to support paddlers with additional needs, has a partnership with the National Rehabilitation Hospital and was described as “a beacon for inclusive sport.”

Badminton Ireland seemed genuinely shocked to win National Governing Body of the Year for its growth and inclusivity among ethnic minorities and first-generation Irish.
The Mayo Sports Partnership won an award for their Better Balance Programme, which trains older people to retain and improve their balance; a collective, practical health initiative that first started in Cork, now applies in four other counties and targets a demographic that is far too often an afterthought when
ever sport is mentioned.
The night’s Outstanding Achievement award went to Matt English who recently stepped down after 17 years as CEO of Special Olympics Ireland. Getting three government ministers, 20 TDs and five senators to attend was quite the catch and demonstrative of sport’s phenomenal pulling power. Politicians, like big
business, love sport for its populist appeal and feel-good occasions but, once again, they heard the FIS ask for more core funding; the money that pays for people, not pitches and buildings.

Last year, in its pre-budget submission, the FIS pleaded for this to be ‘multi-annual’, allowing sports to plan programmes and recruit talent much more strategically with the security of knowing what their budget will be for several years. It also sought VAT relief for sporting bodies and tax relief for donations;
suggested an Employee Exercise Scheme (like the bike-to-work initiative but for gym membership) and an increase in Ireland’s betting levy which, it suggested, could be ring-fenced to create the kind of multi-sport, community facilities that operate so well in other countries.

The Government agreed to multi-annual funding, but while a three-year cycle has been posited that has not actually been agreed or formalised yet.
The FIS pleas for tax exemptions for certain levels of sporting organisations and tax relief on donations was also successful, vitally increasing the possibility of more philanthropic donations. The Government also increased overall core funding in 2024 by four per cent to €31m, but the FIS argues that didn’t even mitigate the cost of rampant inflation or the standards of governance, compliance and safety their members must increasingly meet. What is noticeable is how this type of funding is completely dwarfed by government’s allocations for capital projects. In 2024 this was €429m, with €173m for major sports building projects, €230m to community infrastructures and €26m for equipment. There has been surprisingly little debate on this imbalance.

That emphasis on building was understandable when Ireland was so behind the curve with facilities, but a lot of bricks and pitches have been funded in the last two decades, from the impressive and ever-expanding Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin to multiple pitches and club facilities across the country.
Why the government funds facilities so disproportionately is not clear. Is it because it is the most measurable form of ‘bang for buck’? Is it because the construction of capital projects provides significant revenue returns? Or could it be that a shiny new building and official ribbon-cutting is the most visible and tangible proof of a politician’s loyalty to their constituents?

It might be a bit of all three, but what are buildings and facilities without great people? It is the work of visionary people, creative collaborations and invaluable
community leaders that is consistently showcased at the FIS awards. Business can equally be visionary. Just last week, Allianz and the Olympic Federation announced a new schools tour’ initiative at the Sport Ireland Campus which, in the wake of record success in Paris, will surely further inspire the nation’s children. Yet last December the Judicial Council proposed an overall increase of 16.7 per cent in damages for personal injuries, something that, if passed in the Oireachtas, will directly affect sports clubs and organisations.

The FIS feels strongly that it’s time for the government to invest more in people; to help NGBs harvest the compost gold that grows every Irish sport from the ground up (volunteers) and develop, funnel and retain their top talent (coaches and administrators) in high performance. When it recently surveyed its members about their biggest challenges in retaining staff, 83 per cent of respondents said it is not being able to provide them with a pension plan.
All this and much more is part of the great tapestry, but complicated daily business at sport’s coalface in this country.

GOVERNMENT FUNDING TO SPORT IN 2024

●- €230m Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF, for facilities & equipment) *
● ●- €173m Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF)*
● ● – €28.7m Core Funding (€17.3m national governing bodies, €11.4m Local Sports Partnerships).
● ●- €27m High Performance Sport
● ● – €6m Dormant account funding to other initiatives
● ●- €4m Women in sport

* Both of these figures cover more than one year. The Department says the current focus is on delivering projects already approved and that the next
round of funding should be announced in 2026.
**The Federation of Irish Sport also received €135,

Finalists Announced for the 2025 Irish Sport Industry Awards

May 9, 2025

The Federation of Irish Sport is thrilled to unveil the shortlist of finalists for the much-anticipated 2025 Irish Sport Industry Awards. Set to take place on Tuesday, 20th May at the prestigious College Green Hotel in Dublin, this event promises to be an exciting evening celebrating the power and impact of sport across Ireland.

With 11 award categories shining a spotlight on excellence in innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity, the Irish Sport Industry Awards highlight the individuals, businesses, and organisations who are shaping the future of Irish sport. Today, eight competitive categories have been announced (see below for the list of nominees).

The night will also see the unveiling of three coveted individual honours for the Outstanding Achievement & Contribution to Sport Award, KPMG Women in Sport Award and the Jimmy Magee Sports Coverage of the Year Award, as chosen by the Association of Sports Journalists Ireland

Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport said, “The Federation is delighted to host the 8^th annual Irish Sport Industry Awards which recognise and reward excellence in the business of sport and entrepreneurship. Sport has a unique potential to drive positive change in Irish society, in the areas of health, education, social integration, tourism and economic growth. These awards provide an important opportunity to recognise the multibillion value of the sport sector to the Irish economy and celebrate the work of the more than 64,000 people employed within the sector.”

Jill Downey, Chief Sponsorship & Sustainability Officer, Core and Chair of the Judging Panel commented, “My fellow judges and I were blown away by the innovative, dedicated, and progressive work happening across sport right now. I want to thank the judges for taking such care and attention, reviewing every entry in detail. Many of the categories were so difficult to call with multiple worthy winners. It’s an exciting time to be part of a vibrant and thriving sports industry.”

2025 Finalists

Best Commercial Partnership in Sport, presented by Dublin City Sports & Wellbeing Partnership

• Ladies Gaelic Football Association and TG4, Lidl Ireland
• Olympic Federation of Ireland and Flogas
• Paralympic Ireland and Nestlé Cereals
• Athletics Ireland and 123.ie

Best Use of Communications Platforms in Sport, presented by Future Ticketing

• Leave No Trace Ireland, Love This Place
• IRFU, Irish Rugby+ in partnerships with WiiStream
• Athletics Ireland, Irish Runner Magazine
• Football Association of Ireland, League of Ireland

Best Initiative to Promote Women in Sport & Physical Activity presented by Opel Ireland

• Mayo Local Sports Partnership, ‘Mayo.ie Western People Women’s Mini Marathon’
• Basketball Ireland, SOCIA-Ball
• Athletics Ireland, The Girls Squad 
• Badminton Ireland, BadminTEEN

Best Initiative to Promote Inclusivity in Sport & Physical Activity presented by A&L Goodbody

(by a Local Sports Partnerships)

• Laois Sports Partnership, Translation of Safeguarding 1 Training into Ukrainian
• Wicklow Sports Partnership, Urban Outdoor Recreation
• Wexford Sports Partnership, Nature Walker app
• Donegal Sports Partnership, Sport 4 Empowerment

Best Initiative to Promote Inclusivity in Sport & Physical Activity presented by A&L Goodbody

(by a National Governing Body)

• Cycling Ireland, Project Moljnir
• Canoeing Ireland, PaddleAble programme
• Irish Wheelchair Association Sport, Treaty Rollers multi-sport club 
• Football Association of Ireland, Cairdeas Cup Festival

Local Sports Partnership of the Year, presented by Clann Credo                    

• Fingal Sports Council
• Mayo Sports Partnership
• Laois Sports Partnership
• Leitrim Sports Partnership

Governing Body of the Year, presented by Marsh                          

• Badminton Ireland
• Athletics Ireland
• Basketball Ireland
• Squash Ireland

Best New Sports Business of the Year, presented by Sport Ireland                                

• Skippio
• Hexis
• KineMo
• Sports Impact Technologies

Best Sports Business of the Year, presented by Technology Ireland DIGITAL Skillnet                      

• WiiStream
• Irish American Events Ltd. (IAEL)
• ClubSpot
• Quiz Wizards

To be announced on the 20^th May 2025 at the awards ceremony:

• Jimmy Magee FIS/Association of Sports Journalist Ireland Sports Coverage of the Year Award
• KPMG Women in Business in Sport Award
• Outstanding Achievement & Contribution to Sport Award                           

Behind the Judging: Meet the Experts

• Jill Downey, Chief Sponsorship & Sustainability Officer, Core
• Rob Hartnett, Founder, CEO Sport for Business
• Elma Beirne, Associate Director, Talent & Marketing Representation, Wasserman Ireland
• Shane Califf, Head of the Organisational Development & Change Unit, Sport Ireland
• Maeve Buckley, Director, Leading Sport
• Ronan McCormack, Group Marketing Manager, Dalata Group Hotel
• Brenda O’Donnell, CEO, Active Disability Ireland
• Tom Fox, Co-Founder of 53Six
• Catherine Tiernan, Commercial Director, Olympic Federation of Ireland
• Stephen Bradshaw, Head of Marketing, Close Brothers Motor Finance
• Ger McTavish, Disability in Sport Lead, Sport Ireland
• Ronan Donagher, Former Head of Games Systems

Central Bank report shows a sharp rise in motor insurance premiums of 9% in the first 6 months of last year.

May 7, 2025

Today the Central Bank released the NCID Private Motor Insurance Mid-Year 2024 Report.

· Set against this, how can the government justify taking steps that will drive the cost of people’s car insurance even higher?

· If adopted, the 17% increase in personal injury awards will lead directly to even greater increases in car insurance premiums.

The report shows a sharp rise in motor insurance premiums of 9% in just the first 6 months of last year(2). As anyone who has renewed their motor policy more recently knows, premiums have only continued to increase since that time. The increase has, in large part, been attributed to inflation and the increasing cost of vehicle repairs.

Set against this, how can the government justify taking steps that will drive the cost of people’s car insurance even higher? The Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, is currently considering a recommendation from the Judicial Council that personal injury awards be increased by almost 17% in the coming weeks. Notwithstanding that awards are higher here than in most other countries(3) and the relatively short time the current award guidelines are in existence (2021), if adopted it will lead directly to even greater increases in policyholder premiums. Motorists, businesses, sporting, community and voluntary groups simply cannot afford for this to happen.

Given the adverse consequences of such an increase and the myriad of policy considerations involved, the proposal to raise personal injury awards needs to be put before the relevant Oireachtas Committee for considered, public debate. We urge Minister O’Callaghan and the government to take this course of action in the best interest of policyholders.

The Alliance for Insurance Reform brings together 47 civic and business organisations from across Ireland including the Federation of Irish Sport, representing over 55,000 members, 700,000 employees, 614,000 volunteers and 374,000 students in highlighting the negative impact of persistently high premiums and calling for real reforms that will quickly reduce liability and motor insurance premiums to affordable levels and keep them that way.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: contact@insurancereform.ie

Business Plus.ie Announced as Official Media Partner to the Irish Sport Industry Awards 2025

Apr 10, 2025

The Federation of Irish Sport is proud to announce BusinessPlus.ie as the Official Media Partner for the 2025 Irish Sport Industry Awards, taking place in Dublin on 20th May 2025. This year marks the eighth staging of the prestigious awards, which celebrate the vital connection between business and sport in Ireland.

As Official Media Partner, BusinessPlus.ie will provide exclusive coverage, profiling nominees and winners while showcasing the evolving relationship between sport and business in Ireland. With a longstanding reputation for expert business journalism, BusinessPlus will ensure that both business and sporting communities remain informed and inspired in the lead-up to, during, and following the event.

The Irish Sport Industry Awards spotlight the sector’s considerable contribution to Ireland’s economy and society. The sport industry supports 64,000 jobs, contributes €3.3 billion in household spending, and generates €3.7 billion (GVA) annually for the Irish economy. As the voice of over 110 National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs), the Federation’s annual awards night recognises organisations and individuals making an impact through innovation, inclusion, and excellence in sport.

“We are delighted to welcome Business Plus.ie as our Official Media Partner,” said Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport. “Their reach and reputation across Ireland’s business landscape make them an ideal partner to help us amplify the message that sport is not only a powerful social force—but also a key economic driver.”

Paul Henderson, CEO of BusinessPlus.ie publisher dmg media commented, “For over 25 years Business Plus has reported on excellence in business. As a publisher, we sponsor a swathe of national sporting organisations. Bringing the two of these together is a natural fit. We look forward to being involved.”

Business Plus, Ireland’s most widely distributed business magazine, has been a leading voice in the B2B sector since 1998. With a print circulation of 13,000 copies, 120,000 monthly online users, and a strong presence across social media, Business Plus brings timely and insightful coverage to Ireland’s dynamic business environment. As part of the DMG Media group, they bring decades of journalistic excellence to their role as media partner.

This year’s event will highlight 11 award categories, nine of which are open for public nomination, shining a spotlight on partnerships, initiatives promoting inclusivity, and entrepreneurial achievements in sport. Through the shortlisting and awards process, the Federation seeks to showcase the strength and innovation within Ireland’s sport industry.

If your business would like to be associated with these prestigious awards, there is the opportunity to sponsor the last remaining award categories, please contact clarelouise.odonoghue@irishsport.ie

Entries are open until 5pm Wednesday 16^th April 2025. The full list of categories for the 2025 Irish Sport Industry Awards includes:

Public Entry Categories:

1. Best Commercial Partnership in Sport
2. Best Use of Communications Platforms in Sport
3. Best Initiative to Promote Women in Sport & Physical Activity
4. Best Initiative to Promote Diversity & Inclusivity in Sport & Physical Activity
5. Governing Body of the Year
6. Local Sports Partnership of the Year
7. Best New Sports Business of the Year
8. Best Sports Business of the Year
9. KPMG Women in Sport Award

Closed Categories:

• The Jimmy Magee Award for Sports Journalist of the Year (in partnership with the ASJI)
• Outstanding Contribution to Irish Sport (selected by the Federation of Irish Sport Board)

For all the latest awards news and details how to enter go to: https://irishsportindustryawards.ie/news/