European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions

The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist
in the development of better social, employment and
work-related policies

EU PolicyWatch

Database of national-level policy measures

Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure IE-2020-25/1746 – measures in Ireland

Funding supports for the sport sector

Country Ireland , applies nationwide
Time period Open ended, started on 19 June 2020
Context COVID-19
Type Legislations or other statutory regulations
Category Supporting businesses to stay afloat
– Access to finance
Author Roisin Farelly (IRN Publishing) and Eurofound
Measure added 29 January 2021 (updated 02 February 2021)

Background information

A number of supports and initiatives have been provided to the sports sector.

According to Sports Ireland: The funding will "address the existential threat to National Governing Bodies and their club networks, allowing sports organisations to off-set significant losses incurred in recent months and add a semblance of certainty to planning for 2021. The significant investment will reach all levels of the sport sector with National Governing Bodies, Local Sports Partnerships and thousands of grassroots clubs across Ireland set to benefit."

Content of measure

Supports totaling €85 million include:

  • Funding of up to €40 million for the three main field sports organisations – the FAI, the GAA and the IRFU.
  • a Resilience Fund of up to €10 million to support the National Governing Bodies of Sport.
  • a Sports Club Resilience Fund of up to €15 million to support clubs.
  • a Sports Restart and Renewal Fund of up to €5 million.
  • an Emergency Fund to the value of €5.8 million which has been ring-fenced to offset losses incurred by sports organisations during Level 5 restrictions.
  • €15 million to GAA, Camogie Association and Ladies Gaelic Football Association.
  • Dedicated funding for disability and older adult sport.

Use of measure

According to Sport Ireland: Over €64 million of funding has been allocated to National Governing Bodies, Local Sports Partnerships and other funded bodies across four key schemes.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Particular professions
Sector specific set of companies
Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
Other social actors (e.g. NGOs)
Local / regional government
National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Informed Informed
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • No involvement
  • Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

N/A

Views and reactions

N/A

Sectors and occupations

    • Economic area Sector (NACE level 2)
      R - Arts, Entertainment And Recreation R93 Sports activities and amusement and recreation activities
    • Occupation (ISCO level 2)
      Legal, social, cultural and related associate professionals

Sources

  • 19 June 2020: Sport Ireland Welcomes Significant Government Support for Irish Sport (www.sportireland.ie)
  • 02 November 2020: €85 million Provides Timely Boost to Irish Sport Sector (www.sportireland.ie)
  • 30 November 2020: 2020 – Department supports areas among hardest hit by COVID-19 (www.gov.ie)

Citation

Eurofound (2021), Funding supports for the sport sector, measure IE-2020-25/1746 (measures in Ireland), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/IE-2020-25_1746.html

Share

Eurofound publications based on EU PolicyWatch

30 January 2023

 

Measures to lessen the impact of the inflation and energy crisis on citizens

Governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine. This article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.

Article

12 September 2022

 

First responses to cushion the impact of inflation on citizens

Although the worldwide pandemic situation had already disrupted supply chains and triggered increases in energy and food prices in 2021, the situation deteriorated in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Article

12 September 2022

 

Policies to support EU companies affected by the war in Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses that governments across the EU have started to implement to support companies affected by the rising prices, and those with commercial ties to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.

Article

5 July 2022

 

Policies to support refugees from Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses of EU Member States, including those of the social partners and other civil society actors, enabling refugees to exercise their rights under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Article

Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.