Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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250. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the Government’s strategy for supporting athletes for the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Summer Olympics and Paralympics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21781/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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For the Paris Olympic cycle 2021-2024, the Government provided a record-level 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 2018-2027, Sport Ireland has announced that €27 million will be invested in high performance sport in 2025.

This increased funding for high performance sport will reflect, in particular, our High Performance Strategy 2021-2032, which provides the over-arching policy framework for the development of our high performance system for the next two Olympiads in Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032.

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.