Sport Ireland has announced an increase of €4m of investment provided by the Government for 2023, as Irish athletes focus on Olympic and Paralympic qualification for Paris 2024, while Ciarán Ward has been appointed as Head of High Performance Coaching.
The funding package, which totals €24m, will be provided to 19 national governing bodies to support the delivery of their performance programmes in 2023.
The International Carding Scheme which provides financial support to athletes for their training and competition programmes is included in this year's funding.
Athletes that have achieved criteria for funding in 2022 will be on the International Carding Scheme for 2023 and 2024.
This will allow athletes to focus on training and performances as they seek qualification for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024. This will support 127 athletes and three relays/pool funding in 14 sports.
A grant of €950,000 has been allocated to the Olympic Federation of Ireland (€500,000) and Paralympics Ireland (€450,000) for operations and administration support.
The additional €4m of investment provided by Government for 2023 will be directed to specific initiatives within high performance sport. Coaching, Paris 2024, athlete supports, and High Performance Strategy activation are priority investment areas for Sport Ireland.
The Sport Ireland High Performance Strategy 2021-2032 identifies that "Sport Ireland will develop a clear policy on how team sports will be supported in terms of direct athlete investment, athlete support services and National Governing Body input". The primary objective of funding players within team sports is to enhance their collective ability to compete on a global stage and give recognition of previous performance successes.
Sport Ireland has also announced the introduction of the Player Funding Scheme for women’s senior hockey from 2022 to 2024.
In 2023 and 2024, Sport Ireland will invest €300,000 per annum to Hockey Ireland to support the women’s team. This funding will directly support players in their training and competition plans as they target qualification for Paris 2024.
Newly appointed Head of High Performance Coaching, Ward, who is an International Judo Federation Master Coach, and a 1992 and 1996 Irish Olympian, will be focused on activating initiatives within High Performance Programmes which lead to the improved recruitment and retention of talented coaches; appropriate learning and training supports; along with elevating the importance of coaching positions within NGBs.
Sport Ireland's chief executive, Una May, explained the thinking behind Ward's appointment.
"It's about ensuring that not only our athletes have a pathway to grow and develop in the High Performance, but that our coaching system also matures into a system whereby we have good quality coaches from grassroot through to High Performance, and so we don’t have to import expertise and quality at the highest level," said Mae, speaking to RTE Sport.
"And that’s not to say there is anything wrong with doing that. "[However], it ensures that we nurture the talent we have and we grow and value and recgonise the talent we have and ensure that as we grow and develop that talent that the talent will then be available to us throughout the pathway system rather than just when people get to a point where they reach the highest level and they have the highest level coach."
