Ministers O’Donovan and McConalogue announce details of Budget 2026 for the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport

Sport

The Department’s Sports and Recreation programme aims to promote greater sports participation by all, with particular focus on female participation and diversity, while continuing to invest in new sports facilities, high performance athletes and the hosting of major events.

• €10.8m in extra current funding for Sport Ireland, including:
  • increased core funding for national governing bodies of sport and local sports partnerships by €2m
  • and an additional €500k to support Sport Ireland’s work with sports legacy programmes and events.
• Additional funding for Gaelic Games including:
  • enhanced core funding for the GAA of €250k
  • just under €750k to grow hurling in non-traditional areas
  • an additional €1.6m to support inter-county players
• Extra funding for the IRFU including:
  • enhanced core funding of €250k
  • funding of just under €500k to support the building of high-performance pathways for women rugby players
• €3m to the FAI to support League of Ireland football academies
• High Performance funding increased by €1.5m ahead of LA 2028, to meet Programme for Government commitments
• Investment of €500k in a grassroots golf participation programme as part of the legacy programme of major golf events like the Ryder Cup 2027
• National Velodrome and Badminton Centre to commence construction
• Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) annual allocation increased by €18.7m, to support the development of world-class sports facilities nationwide
• Allocation will support expenditure on thousands of existing projects under the Community Sport Facilities Fund with the intention of announcing the opening of a further round later in 2026

Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, Charlie McConalogue said;

“Sport is the heartbeat of so many of our communities, and this Government is committed to growing sport at all levels. From grassroots participation to elite and high-performance athletes, we are dedicated to improving Ireland’s standing as a sporting nation.

The countdown to Ireland hosting the 2027 Ryder Cup and Euro 2028 is firmly on, and we will continue to invest in these and other Major Sports Events in 2026. Ensuring that these events leave a lasting legacy for communities, drive economic growth, and impact positively on sports participation, will continue to be a priority.

In the lead-up to the Olympic Games in LA in 2028, the Government is committed to reach €30 million per annum in High Performance funding before the 2028 LA Olympics. With an increase of €1.5 million, bringing the total funding to €28.5 million, we are ahead of schedule on this goal.

We have also made provision for another round of funding under the Community Sport Facilities Fund, as well as an increase in support for the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund, recognising the roll out of projects already announced. We will continue to develop our National Sports Campus, with work due to commence shortly on the new National Velodrome and Badminton Centre.

This Government is committed to the success of Irish sport; from record investment in our sport facilities, to supporting the ambition of our high-performance athletes like never before and fundamentally, to ensuring everyone, at every level, enjoys the right to participate in sport and physical activity.”