Minister Chambers: €6.1m Boost for Sport and Physical Activity Measures

Minister Chambers: €6.1m Boost for Sport and Physical Activity Measures

Sport Ireland has today announced an investment package of €6.1m in Tranche 1 Dormant Accounts Funding for a wide range of sport and physical activity measures across Ireland through the Local Sports Partnership Network, Cara, and Sport Ireland.

The investment aims to engage communities across the country, focusing on people living in disadvantaged communities, people with a disability, women and girls, and people who are educationally disadvantaged. Inclusion is a core value within sport, with sports inclusion disability projects also being prioritised within the funding.

Speaking about the new round of Dormant Account Funding, Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht Jack Chambers TD said “I am delighted to announce this significant investment of Dormant Accounts Funding to develop and promote participation initiatives aimed at disadvantaged communities. A few months ago, I had the privilege of launching a new €2m. fund for the provision by sports clubs of sport opportunities for people with disabilities. That new scheme attracted over 800 applications from sports clubs throughout the country, which are now being processed with allocations to be announced before the end of the year. Today’s announcement of Dormant Accounts funding will enable us to provide further targeted measures to make sport available for all, not just for those that have easier access to sports facilities or can afford it. I am really excited about the range and variability in this programme. Not only does the programme seek to address and promote decisive action on contemporary issues and challenges such as the importance of sport for at-risk youth in urban settings or in helping young people to cope with exam pressures, there are also some very welcome initiatives aimed at securing longer-term benefits through youth leadership development and research studies into the unique problems presented in disadvantaged communities.”

This investment is closely aligned with the National Sports Policy and the National Physical Activity Plan, with the funding being disseminated into three areas; 1) Community Sports & Physical Activities Hubs (CSPAHs); 2) National Sport Education & Training and 3) Sports Measures for Disadvantaged Communities. A particular emphasis is placed on implementing programmes to promote physical activity, making sport and physical activity accessible to people from diverse backgrounds, people with a disability and the development of programmes to address transitions and drop out from physical activity.

Accessibility, availability, and opportunity are components to the Dormant Accounts Funding, with this investment showcasing the importance of increasing activity levels for people in Ireland.