33% increase in funding for women in sport to be announced today

The funding pot is for the promotion and enhancement of female involvement in sport 

Jack Chambers TD, Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Spor Photo Clive Wasson

Minister of state for Sport Jack Chambers will today announce €4m in funding for the Sport Ireland Women in Sport programme, a 33% increase on the 2019 allocation.

The funding, which covers 2021 and 2022, is to support the various National Governing Bodies to promote and enhance female involvement in sport, as well as engage in long-term planning and organisation.

The €4m pot will also focus on coaching and officiating, active participation, leadership, governance and visibility.

During an Oireachtas Committee meeting on the issues facing women in sport back in April, Federation of Irish Sport CEO Mary O’Connor said the allocation of €3m for specific women in sport funding needs to be “substantially increased” if the requirements of women and girls playing sport in this country is to be met.

“41 organisations receive funding for women in sports projects. Ideally, what you'd like to see is an increase in funding for the women in sport policy to be developed and for the number of bodies receiving specific women in sport funding to be increased. 

"Specific women in sport funding, that pot of €3m needs to be substantially increased if we are going to meet the requirements of women and girls playing sport in this country.” 

The Women in Sport programme was established in 2005. To date, over €20m has been invested through the NGBs and Local Sports Partnerships. Today’s announcement of a 33% increase in funding ties in with a key aim of the National Sport Policy 2018-2027 which is to eliminate the gender participation gap by 2027.