Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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35. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will increase funding for the League of Ireland; his views on promoting a fan ownership model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9990/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Government funding in support of the League of Ireland is delivered through two main channels. Programme funding for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), which is primarily aimed at supporting the delivery of programmes at local level, is directed via Sports Ireland while capital grants are allocated to individual clubs under my Department's two key capital funding programmes, the Community Sport Facilities Fund and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund.

Considerable increased financial support has been provided by the State for the development of football in Ireland in recent years, particularly through the 2020-2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Government and the FAI. That MOU provided for a package of funding of €5.8 million per annum to the FAI during that 4-year period up to 2023 for football development.

A new MOU was signed on 17 December 2024, increasing State funding to the FAI to €6 million per annum for the period 2024-2027.

In acknowledging the hugely important role of grassroots sport, the Government is committed to supporting football at grassroots level and to investing in football. In that regard, over €75 million has been allocated to the FAI between 2019 and 2024, including €30.2 million specifically to support football development and aimed at promoting participation in football by young people, with the balance in funding comprising Covid-specific and energy supports to the FAI and the wider football sector

In terms of support for the development of facilities, €54.4 million was allocated to Irish football, in November 2024, through the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF), including projects such as Finn Harps, Dalymount Park and Sligo Rovers Stadium. In addition, €50.6 million was allocated from the Community Sports and Equipment Fund in 2024, in support of the development of football facilities nationwide.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to explore new mechanisms for the creation of football academies with the FAI and the League of Ireland. The government will continue to encourage all sporting organisations, including the FAI, to develop their sports and to ensure that opportunities exist at grassroots level for people to participate in sport.

With regard to the ownership of clubs, the FAI, like all National Governing Bodies of sport, is an independent, autonomous body, who is responsible for the organisation and development of its own sport, including the ownership of its affiliated clubs.