Government to reduce expenditure on sport

Reductions to Government expenditure on sport were announced in today's budget, with spending via the Irish Sports Council and the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund both set to fall.

Funding to the Irish Sports Council will be reduced by 4% to €49.789m in 2010, while total expenditure on sport by the government will be €115m.

€48m has been provided for the Sports Capital Programme - which supports building projects - in 2010.

The current tax regime, which allows sports people in the Republic of Ireland to claim tax relief on their income over a 10-year period, has not been changed.

Commenting on the budget, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen said: 'The provision of €48m for Sports Capital projects will ensure that commitments arising in 2010 from previous allocations under the Sports Capital Programme will continue to be made and that a range of modern facilities will be brought in to use in 2010.'

A release from the Department for Arts, Sport and Tourism said that the Lansdowne Road Stadium - to be known as the Aviva Stadium - remains on schedule to be completed on time and within budget in 2010. The allocation by the Department of €4.5m in 2010 represents the retention amount of the Government's funding for the project of €191m.

Mr Cullen continued: 'Funding to the Irish Sports Council for 2010 is at €49.789m, a reduction of 4% on the 2009 levels, but is a significant investment by Government to enable this important agency maintain existing programmes and build on recent significant progress in all areas including Local Sports Partnerships, Buntús, Women in Sport, Older People and Sport,
Youth Field Sports and the High Performance Programme.'

Funding to the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund is to be reduced by 13% to €59.264m.

Mr Cullen said: 'Ireland is the third largest breeder of thoroughbreds in the world and Irish horses and jockeys consistently succeed at the highest level. An estimated 27,000 jobs are supported by both the horse and greyhound industry in Ireland and significant inward investment is attracted to the country.

'Taking account of the need to continue to support both industries, €59.264m is being allocated by Government to the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund in 2010. This is a reduction of 13% on the funding provided in 2009.'

The Department also announced that Phase One of the National Sports Campus project 'remains under review'.

It said that an amount of €3m is being provided for the refurbishment of the former Marine Institute building at Abbotstown, which will be used as a headquarters for national governing bodies of sport.

The remainder of the allocation will be used to provide for capital maintenance at the National Aquatic Centre.

Phase One of the project were initially due to include a National Field Sports Training Centre for rugby, soccer, gaelic games and hockey, and a National Indoor Training Centre providing world- class training facilities for over 20 sports, accommodation sports science and medical facilities, and all-weather synthetic pitches for community use.

The plan was later enlarged to also include training centres for Athletics, Gymnastics and Boxing respectively.