Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy and I echo his remarks about Mr. Treacy, who has built a structure that started very much from himself back in the late 1990s. It has grown as a structure around sport to see Sport Ireland as it is today, with a very professional structure that oversees sport and delivers policy outcomes. I welcome the Deputy's remarks on funding.

As part of the application process for Covid-19 funding, there is a sport club resilience fund for grassroots. The three main governing bodies are the FAI, the IRFU and the GAA and within their application process they are asked to be very clear about what supports they are seeking for grassroots or what schemes will be developed so clubs or local organisations can apply for the various supports.

There were supports given as part of last year's package. I know many football clubs that benefited and it was the same for the GAA. The GAA made a decision so much of the funding from the Covid-19 package covered basic insurance costs faced by every club. Maybe people did not connect the Covid-19 funding with the reduction in insurance costs that faced different clubs. It was one element of the funding package from last year that was directly supported by the State.

There is strong oversight provided by Sport Ireland. Every aspect of funding is overseen so it goes directly to where it is being sought. There is a structure around managing and overseeing the process being run by Sport Ireland to ensure the funding goes to where it is sought.