Need to be included as criteria for sports grants - Costello

2 October 2014

by Cllr Joe Costello

Deputy Joe Costello today welcomed confirmation from Sports Council CEO, John Treacy, and Chair Kieran Mulvey, that following his concerns, the criteria of need will be included in applications seeking public monies.

Speaking on the 2012 accounts of the Irish Sports Council at the Public Accounts Committee today, Deputy Joe Costello expressed concern that more than 20 per cent of all grants allocated were given to the Big Three—the GAA, the FAI and the IRFU—and that there was no criteria of need in the assessment of applications and the granting of public monies.

“I am concerned that while the GAA is doing incredible work for young people, it has received €200 million from the Government for the development of Croke Park, which as a result was able to function as a very successful commercial entity. Likewise, rugby, in particular, is able to attract huge corporate sponsorship. Soccer and boxing are the poor relation in every sense of the word.

“In my constituency of Dublin Central, which has an urban and disadvantaged background, soccer and boxing are the main sports played. It is unacceptable not to have need as criteria in allocating sports grants. Otherwise these sports will continue to operate on a shoestring, and will remain underfunded with young boxers and soccer players deprived of the sporting facilities they require.

" I welcome CEO John Treacy and Chair Kieran Mulvey's agreement that need should be a criteria, look forward to seeing its inclusion in the future."