Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 September 2021
319. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the criteria set down by her Department to ensure that parity was achieved for smaller or newer clubs within an organisation that received funding or supplementary funding due to the financial impact of Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46809/21]
View answerA total Covid-19 funding package of €88.5 million was provided last year to support the sport sector. This significant investment benefited all levels of the sport sector, including thousands of grassroots clubs across the country, and provided some certainty for sporting organisations in their planning for 2021.
The funding package included support for the three main field sports organisations (the FAI, GAA and IRFU), a Resilience Fund to support the National Governing Bodies of Sport, a Sports Club Resilience Fund to support clubs, and a Sports Restart and Renewal Fund.
The funding was invested through new grant schemes developed by Sport Ireland in consultation with my Department's Sports Policy Division. The criteria and terms and conditions of funding were drafted by Sport Ireland in accordance with Section 11 of the Sport Ireland Act 2015, which provides that Sport Ireland shall establish the criteria and terms and conditions of its grant funding schemes. Funding allocations to NGBs and clubs under the new schemes were determined following a robust grant application and assessment process conducted by Sport Ireland.
I have referred the Deputy's question to Sport Ireland for further information in relation to the criteria and terms and conditions of the funding allocated to organisations. Please inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
