Our #1 Ask of government in Budget 2024 is an Increase in Core Funding. As part of our Pre-Budget campaign to highlight why #SportMatters, we caught up with our member CEOs from Swim Ireland, Rowing Ireland, Volleyball Ireland, Canoeing Ireland, Badminton Ireland and Basketball Ireland to hear why core funding is crucial to running their sporting organisations.
Today we hear from John Feehan, CEO Basketball Ireland.
From the Federation of Irish Sport Pre-Budget Submission 2023: The National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) and Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) recognised by Sport Ireland are at the centre of Irish sport. A key focus of Sport Ireland is to assist NGBs and LSPs to develop sustainable and effective structures to facilitate increased numbers of participants and volunteers in sport and ensuring long term sustainability of NGBs and for LSPs to deliver participation opportunities in local communities. The core grant covers the implementation of strategic plans and participation programmes, coach development, the hosting of events, the employment and retention of professional staff and the administration costs of developing and delivering the sport.
Multi-annual funding commitments are essential to create certainty for the NGB’s and LSP’s, to allow them to plan strategically; maintain adequate staffing levels and staff certainty; and most importantly
deliver on their objectives. The NGBs and LSPs are essential components for delivering on Government’s commitments and ambitions in relation to sport and physical exercise.