Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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29. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there are plans to increase funding for high performance coaching; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64558/25]

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.

€27 million will be invested in high performance sport in 2025, which encompasses coaching both through grants to National Governing Bodies and through the Sport Ireland Institute. This is in line with the Government’s target of delivering €30 million in funding per annum for high performance sport by 2027, as set out in the National Sports policy 2018-2027.

This approach reflects 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 in Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032.

As part of this overall funding package, the International Carding Scheme provides financial support to athletes for their training and competition programmes. In 2025, Sport Ireland will invest €4.5 million under the International Carding Scheme and the Player Funding Scheme (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 sports.

For 2026, €28.5 million was allocated towards high-performance sport in Budget 2026, an increase of €1.5m on the funding being provided in 2025.

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