Budget cuts will raise another hurdle to Irish sporting success

Never mind the Republic of Ireland’s loss in Cologne, or Munster’s woeful experience in Edinburgh, Irish sport’s most damaging defeat is about to be recorded today, and in Leinster House, of all places.

If the rumour mill is accurate, the industry will have felt the Government’s fiscal scalpel yet again in Finance Minister Michael Noonan’s latest budget and few if any corners of the sector will be immune from cuts.

If true, it will be a devastating hit for a sector already savaged by squeezing of the public purse. Under the auspices of the Federation of Irish Sport (FIS), a plan was drawn up asking for more rather than less funds with a bump of €4.5m sought squarely for the creation of jobs to drive participation levels.