Policy
Sport
Published on: 21 March 2019
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on: 21 March 2019
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
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:
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:
The National Sports Policy 2018 - 2027 sets out targets for Irish sport to achieve in the coming years.
They include:
The department also operates the following grants programmes to assist in the development or refurbishment of sports facilities and the provision of sports equipment:
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 a policy and strategy for bidding and hosting Major Events and 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:
At all stages of the process, the unit will seek to protect and promote the State’s interests.
Further information on Ireland's guiding principles in respect of Major International Sports Events, can be found here
Responsibility at Head of Business Unit level lies with Donal Hannigan, Principal Officer.
A selection of the current projects currently being managed by the unit.
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 the home ground of one of those teams. The current contest is known as the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
Under the current series, five such games are proposed annually between 2022 and 2026. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic five game series is a successful and proactive public private collaboration.
The 2024 edition of the Europa League Final was held in the Aviva Stadium.
The Major Sport Events Unit coordinated central government supports and partnered with the FAI, DCC and others to help to ensure the delivery of a highly successful event.
The Ryder Cup is one of the world’s greatest sporting events. Every two years, 24 of the best players from Europe and the United States go head-to-head in match play competition.
Adare Manor, Limerick has been chosen as the venue for the 2027 edition and the unit is co-ordinating government support.
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.
The Major Sport Events Unit has supported and continues to support the bid and will have a key role in coordinating Irish Government support for the event’s delivery, should the bid be successful. UEFA are expected to make their decision on the hosts later in the year.
In line with government policy and its commitment under the Programme for Government, a Major Sports Events Policy is being developed for Ireland. The aim is to establish whether and how Government should support major events, the benefits it should seek to derive from such events, the supports it could offer and the kind of events it would prioritise for support. This 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.
The unit ran a public consultation in 2022 on the establishment of a Major Sports Events Policy. The main objectives of the consultation were to seek views and understand people’s attitudes towards major international sports events, and the role of Government in supporting them. The public consultation is assisting in the development of a policy to underpin a subsequent strategy.
You can contact the unit at any time regarding our work or with proposals for major sports event and 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