Mr. Hamish Adams:

On behalf of Rowing Ireland, I thank the State for its contribution to our sport. The support we have received is critical to our sport's functioning. As a niche sport represented by 100 clubs on the island of Ireland, we require further investment to maintain the levels of participation and performance we are currently delivering. We are very proud to say that we have three current world champions and two Olympic silver medalists - the O'Donovan brothers. Unfortunately, at this point, they will be trying to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in boats that are four years old. To be honest, this is a huge challenge. We applied for funding through the sports capital grant. Unfortunately, even though our bid was valid, we did not receive funding. These are some of the challenges that all of the sports face in terms of the limitations around financial resources. I appeal for further support. I know that Sport Ireland has been very vociferous in supporting us in that area. Increasing the levels of funding because they are still below 2008 levels, as Mr. Fahey from Tennis Ireland pointed out, is one of our key asks.

The second issue is the desperate need for funding for sports equipment. The third issue concerns the ability of all the NGBs to contribute to the sports capital grant criteria. We know intimately what clubs can have the most significant effect on our sport and where they are. Having eligibility criteria within the sports capital grant, as we outlined to the Minister this morning, would be critical. We all know the huge role sport plays in our nation's health. We believe any further investment in sport is money well spent.