Sport

Over the years, sporting organisations and volunteers have formed the backbone of sport in Ireland. Building on this legacy enriches the lives of active participants and as well a country which values vibrant, local community identity and the achievements of our sporting heroes.

Sport and recreation also have other benefits for the nation, both economic in terms of sports tourism, employment opportunities through growth in the sector, and social in terms of better physical and mental health and wellbeing.

The 2023 Irish Sports Monitor review reported that 47 % of the population regularly participates in sport, while the difference in sports participation rates between men and women in 2023 is the narrowest on record at just under 3%. This is largely due to women’s sports participation increasing by 6% between 2022 and 2023 – it now stands at 46% compared to 49% for men.

Sport can also play a role in tackling societal challenges around anti-social behaviour, particularly when offered as part of broader personal development programmes or in conjunction with community and youth services. Active and social participation by migrants and ethnic minorities can help combat the social exclusion they often experience.

Sport contributes significantly to the economy.

The latest statistics show that:

• Irish households spend €3.3 billion annually on sport and sport-related goods and services, equal to 3.1% of the value of consumer spending in the Irish economy
• sport-related spending contributes €3.7 billion in value added to the Irish economy, equivalent to 1.4% of economy-wide Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
• for every €100 invested by Government, it received €209 in return in taxes
• sport and sport-related activities support over 64,000 full-time equivalent jobs, over 2.8% of the overall level of employment in Ireland
• sport-related volunteering activity is estimated to have an economic value of €1.5 billion per annum

Sport also has a special part to play in combating the problems of drug abuse, crime and social exclusion, particularly among young people living in areas of social and economic disadvantage.

The development of high performance in Irish sport is another key element within overall national sports strategy. Top performances in the sporting arena, both nationally and internationally, based on a drugs-free philosophy of sport, provide positive role models as well as enhancing our sense of national achievement, and the image of Ireland overseas.

Ireland's major goals when it comes to sport are to:

• increase participation and interest in sport at all levels
• improve standards of performance and to develop sports facilities at national, regional and local level

The National Sports Policy 2018 - 2027 sets out targets for Irish sport to achieve in the coming years.

They include:

• overall participation in sport to rise from 43% to 50% of the population by 2027 (the equivalent of an extra 260,0000 people participating in sport)
• more targeted high performance funding to deliver more Olympic/Paralympic medals (From the securing of 13 medals in 2016 to a target of 20 in 2028)
• all funded sports bodies adopting the Governance Code for Sport

The department also operates the following grants programmes to assist in the development or refurbishment of sports facilities and the provision of sports equipment:

• Sports Capital Programme
• Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF)
• Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme

The Major Sport Events Unit was established in order to manage and co-ordinate government support for major sports events in Ireland.

The role of the Major Sport Events Unit is to:

1. Develop, maintain and implement a policy and strategy for bidding and hosting Major Events, including an assessment model for State financial support.

2. Manage and coordinate State support and input into Major Event bidding and hosting and to protect and promote the State’s interests as part of this process. In summary this can be expressed under the following headings:

• Assess – what is the economic, sporting and social case for the government’s support of an event?

• Bid – support the bid (financially, administratively or both) and secure where necessary government guarantees and commitments from public services, where required

• Deliver – assist in the delivery of the event, with particular emphasis on government commitments made at bid stage

At all stages of the process, the unit will seek to protect and promote the State’s interests.

Responsibility at Head of Business Unit level lies with Donal Hannigan, Principal Officer.

Current projects

The unit is currently managing a selection of major sporting events, including:

US College Football Classics

The College Football Classic series brings two American College football teams to play a competitive game at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin rather than at their home ground. The current contest is known as the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.

Under the current series, five games are scheduled annually between 2022 and 2026. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic five game series is a successful and proactive public private collaboration.

NFL

Ireland will host its first ever NFL regular-season game in 2025 at Croke Park. This landmark event will be the first official NFL game in Ireland, offering a significant opportunity to strengthen economic, sporting and cultural engagement between Ireland and the United States.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been confirmed as one of the participating teams, with their opponent to be announced later in the year.

EURO 2028

In April 2023, the FAI, together with partners from the football associations of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, submitted a final bid to UEFA to host EURO 2028. This bid was supported by the relevant government administrations, including the Irish Government.

In October 2023, UEFA announced that the UK and Ireland bid from the five football associations of the UK and Ireland, supported by the relevant government administrations, including the Irish Government, had been successful. The tournament will now take place across the UK and Ireland in 2028, with Dublin expected to host a number of games.

The Major Sports Events Unit supported the bid and will now have a key role in coordinating Irish Government support for the event’s delivery.

Major Sports Events Policy

In line with government policy, a Major Sports Events Policy and Strategy Framework was developed for Ireland and published in October 2024. A copy of the Major Sports Event Policy and Strategy Framework Report as well as an event screening document for prospective event organisers may be found here.

This document will provide the basis for a strategy to attract Major International Sports Events and an Assessment model based on the identified priorities. Mechanisms and channels to support events will also need to be developed.

Contact us

You can contact the Major Sports Event Unit at any time regarding our work or with proposals for major sports event. We will provide such assistance as is appropriate, whether that be directly or by referring you to other possible supports.

You can contact us at majorevents@tcagsm.gov.ie

Sports Action Plan 2024 - 2027