Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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130. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the total budget and allocations for elite sport athletes; his plans to enhance that amount in the lead up to the next Olympic Games; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34959/25]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Minister about funding for elite athletes in Ireland ahead of the next Olympic cycle.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, for the Paris Olympic cycle 2021-2024, the Government provided a record level of investment of approximately €89 million towards high-performance sport. This was a substantial increase on the €59 million invested for the previous Tokyo cycle. In line with the Government's target of delivering €30 million per annum for high-performance sport by 2027, as indicated in the national sports policy, Sport Ireland has announced that €27 million will be invested in high-performance sport over the course of this year. This increased funding for high-performance sport will reflect, in particular, Sport Ireland's High Performance Strategy 2021-2032, which provides the overarching policy framework for the development of the high-performance system for the next two Olympiads, that is, Los Angeles the next time around, in 2028, and Brisbane in 2032.

The international carding scheme provides financial support to athletes for their training and competition programmes. The primary purpose of this funding is to support Irish athletes in reaching finals and in achieving medals at European, world, Olympic and Paralympic levels. This year, Sport Ireland will invest €4.5 million under the international carding scheme and the player funding scheme for men's and women's senior teams. Through the Sport Ireland international carding scheme, 129 individual athletes and others on relay teams will be supported across 16 different sports. Sport Ireland also provides €350,000 of Government funding in direct athlete support to Golf Ireland through the Golf Ireland professional scheme.

The task ahead is to sustain and build on what has been achieved to date. More athletes, coaches on stable contracts and additional services will be needed in the coming years to enable national sporting bodies to carry through well-funded, stable high-performance programmes. Therefore, the importance of collaboration in preparing for these games, in particular between Sport Ireland, the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Paralympics Ireland and the relevant national governing bodies of sport, should also be recognised.

With the benefit of considerable support from the Government, I am confident that Team Ireland's participation in the next Olympic and Paralympic Games will build on the successes of recent games.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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It must be recognised initially that, as the Minister of State outlined, since the previous Olympic cycle funding has dramatically improved, which is very welcome, but he will be aware that there are probably more challenges facing our elite athletes than ever before. I speak specifically about aspects of social media and the pressures that brings. Many athletes are having to try to find alternative streams to support them in taking time of work or, in some cases, giving up their jobs and dedicating themselves to sport. Built in with those pressures are mental health concerns as well. There is the possibility of burnout because athletes are training at such an immense level.

The dramatic increase in funding is welcome but, obviously, the job we have here is to ensure that we bring home more medals in the future, which is what we all want. The nation gets a lift every time our athletes go out and perform and bring home the goods. Our job is to continue to highlight that they always need additional funding.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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It is fair to recognise we have come a long way and a large part of that has been down to the funding that the Government has put behind our athletes, alongside really good governance and planning and strategic direction, both by Sport Ireland and the national governing bodies but, of course, on top of all of that and most important is the commitment and excellence of our athletes. That contributed to us having our most successful Olympic Games ever in Paris last year with a medal haul across a number of disciplines, some of which we did not have a strong history in.

I was glad to address the Olympic Federation of Ireland AGM yesterday evening with many of the governing bodies in attendance and, indeed, to congratulate all of them collectively for the work they have done in supporting athletes. That is something we, as a Government, are committed to continuing to do. We are committed to continuing to back that effort and back our athletes with good strong funding but also, importantly, to making sure we are backing athletes in terms of their well-being. That is why we have also supported the Federation of Irish Sport in appointing an athlete support manager in September last year and also why we are backing the Sport Ireland athlete career transition programme to make sure athletes are supported in their transition from a sporting life to professional life after that.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I do not think I need to recite them all but I will give a few examples. Paul O'Donovan, who we all know from the rowing world, is practising as a surgeon. Sophie Becker was working in a full-time job in a pharma company until recently. Phil Healy was working as a software engineer. They are all doing this while competing at the top level in their sport. The dedication those people demonstrate is immense. I do not think anyone in this Chamber could give the commitment and dedication they do to their respective trades.

On funding in the wider sense in terms of LSSIF and putting money into facilities, not only for the elite athletes but also the amateur athletes who aspire to one day make it to professional or international status, will the Minister of State give us a run-down of the next round of the LSSIF and when he anticipates that might be?

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the Deputy’s ongoing advocacy on behalf of sporting organisations in his constituency. We expect to open the sports facilities fund, which is for clubs up to a maximum of €200,000, next spring with announcements next autumn. It normally runs every two years. We have only ever run two iterations of the large-scale sports infrastructure fund, the first in 2019 and the more recent at the end of 2024. The plan is to reopen that in a shorter timeframe for the third round but it should be borne in mind the last one was a five-year gap. We would like to pull that back but that will be dependent on being able to get capital funding. We are currently engaged in the national development plan review for the next five years and that will be central to the decision on the fund. Our focus now is on those who did receive funding last autumn and working with them to make sure they get on with the project. We see drawdown by the 2019 applicants too and we are making sure all those projects proceed. I know it is something in which the Deputy takes a very big interest in his constituency and I look forward to continuing to work with him on that.