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

As I referenced, the stimulus package provides a significant amount of support for the FAI. The association, through Sport Ireland, will fund the League of Ireland and many other sporting competitions. The chief executive officer of the FAI, at a meeting of the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response, indicated that €3.5 million is required to stage the League of Ireland. Funding provided to the FAI by Sport Ireland is for the non-professional elements of the sport and is broadly aimed at encouraging and creating more opportunities for young people to participate in football.

I also referenced the €40 million package and the resilience fund of up to €10 million. We have a sports club resilience fund of more than €15 million. I will engage further with League of Ireland clubs through the FAI and with Sport Ireland. We cannot have a scenario where there is a question mark over our league. That also applies to many other leagues across the sporting landscape in the next year. Sport will have significant funding challenges in 2021 but it is an important part of our communities and we will have ongoing engagement with the sector about its funding. The financial packages that have been put in place and will be filtered out through Sport Ireland demonstrate that the Government has supported sport.

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