Sports Council funding cut

THE Government has announced there is no money available for the long-mooted indoor training arena and track at the National Sports Campus in west Dublin, and is instead seeking help from the state’s wealthier citizens.

At present, sport does not qualify for charitable status when it comes to philanthropic donations. Fine Gael promised to address that anomaly in their manifesto prior to taking office with Labour.

The news has been welcomed by Sarah O’Connor of the Federation of Irish Sports which first pointed out the obstacles to, and possible benefits of, the philanthropic route when sports officials met with Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar recently.