Sports funding - Investment in health

Yesterday’s announcement by the Irish Sports Council that it will spend €7.4m to support major field sports’ governing bodies — the FAI, GAA, and IRFU — is very welcome but it would be even more welcome had more money been available.

To put that €7.4m in context, Manchester United manager David Moyes was given €180m to spend on new players earlier this year and Toulon, the French rugby club that stands between Munster and their fifth European Cup final, have an annual budget of just under €20m.

Even though the Sports Council administers other grant schemes this seems a modest enough investment, especially in the face of an escalating obesity crisis and the ill health brought about by overly sedentary lives. If the role sport plays in creating healthy lifestyles was better recognised then it might be easier to secure more funding.