€400,000 funding for Waterford Sports Partnership
Green Party TD for Waterford, Marc Ó Cathasaigh has welcomed today’s announcement of almost €400,000 funding for Waterford Sports Partnership. The funding (€398,564) was announced today by Sport Ireland in association with Deputy Ó Cathasaigh’s colleague, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD. It is part of a €9.5 million package for the network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships across Ireland, (representing an increase of 15% on 2020) and part of an overall €40 million investment in National Governing Bodies for Sport (NGBs), High Performance athlete support and the network of Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) for 2021. This increase in investment provides an opportunity for Sport Ireland to support a locally led, safe return to sport and to further build the capacity of LSPs, increasing their reach and impact across Ireland.
Welcoming the investment in Waterford, Deputy Ó Cathasaigh stated: “This funding for Waterford Sports Partnership is very welcome because it comes at a time that our sports organisations are getting ready to return to activities and get back on their feet as restrictions ease. It will have an immediate impact within our communities as we see our children and adults return to sports or take up new sporting activities. Many people have felt the loss of sport in their lives during the pandemic and are looking forward it’s return. Many of our sporting organisations at local and national level have faced unprecedented financial and challenges due to COVID-19 restrictions and this funding will provide stability and certainty across the breadth of sporting organisations throughout 2021.”
This funding will work alongside the Covid-19 Grant Scheme announced in December 2020.
Deputy Ó Cathasaigh’s Green Party colleague and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, added: “The past year has shown us yet again the important role that sport and physical activity plays in our lives and the vital contribution it makes to our physical and mental wellbeing. I am delighted to announce today’s funding to the sport sector to further assist the work of National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships to encourage people to be more active and to support their ongoing development. In Budget 2021, the Government made a commitment to support the sector and we are engaging closely with the sector to ensure their needs are met and that sport will emerge from the Covid-19 crisis in a strong position.”
Along with funding for Local Sports Partnerships, the finding will include €13.8 million for core activity of 59 National Governing Bodies, €8.5 million to support High Performance programmes, and €2.68 million for the International Carding scheme.
