Elite athletes face funding cuts

Sports Funding: High performance sport cannot be protected from Government cuts after this year

Sports Funding:High performance sport cannot be protected from Government cuts after this year. At the announcement of the grants for 2012, which is the government's annual funding for athletes who have qualified or would hope to qualify for top world events such as London 2012, CEO of the Irish Sports Council John Treacy said his organisation is expecting a 5 per cent cut in funding next year.

It may also be hit with a further five per cent cut the following year. This follows a series of cuts to the overall sports budget.

However, this year, ahead of London 2012, high performance athletes such as elite boxers Katie Taylor and Joe Ward and athlete Derval O’Rourke have been protected.

All three have qualified for the Olympics and are among 22 athletes who are receiving the top grant of €40,000.

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“What we have got in the last number of years is a 5 per cent cut per year and we are expecting something similar according to the minister,” said Treacy. “Up to now we have protected the high performance but I don't think we can protect it next year. We will have to look at areas where we can cut back.”

The Sports Council, who have had to face cuts in their own staff numbers, pointed out they secured €6,680,500 for high performance sport across 21 organisations for this year compared to €6,861,000 in 2011.

International Carding Scheme

Athletics Ireland

€40,000 – Podium:Olive Loughnane, Derval O'Rourke, Robert Heffernan, David Gillick

€20,000 - World Class:Ciaran O'Lionard, Deirdre Ryan, Fionnuala Britton, Paul Hession

€12,000 - International:Alistair Cragg, Stephanie Reilly, Linda Byrne, Mark Kenneally, Brendan Boyce, Joe Sweeney, Ciara Mageean, Joanne Cuddihy, Ava Hutchison

Badminton Ireland

€12,000 – International:Sam Magee, Chloe Magee, Scott Evans.

€10,000 – Developmental:Developmental Squad

€12,000 – Junior:Junior Squad

Cerebral Palsy Sport Ireland

€20,000 - World Class:Roberta Connolly

€12,000 - International:Gabriel Shelly, Jason Kearney, Johnny Cronin, Padraic Moran

€10,000 - Developmental:Soccer team

Cycling Ireland

€40,000 – Podium:Catherine Walsh, Mark Rohan, Colin Lynch

€20,000 – Podium:Daniel Martin

€20,000 – World Class:Cathal Miller, Nicholas Roche, Caroline Ryan

€12,000 – International:Ciara Horne, Eoin Mullen, Martyn Irvine, Philip Deignan, Enda Smyth, Katie George-Dunleavy, James Brown, Andrew Fitzgerald

Irish Amateur Archery Association

€12,000 – International:Sinead Cuthbert, Maeve Reidy, Keith Hanlon

Irish Amateur Boxing Association

€40,000 – Podium:Joe Ward, Darren O'Neill, Ray Moylette, Katie Taylor, Paddy Barnes, John Joe Nevin

€30,000 – Podium:John Joe Joyce, Eric Donovan, Kenneth Egan

€20,000 – Podium:Tyrone McCullagh

€20,000 – World Class:Michael Conlon

€15,000 – World Class:David Oliver Joyce, William McLaughlin, Roy Sheahan

€12,000 – International:Tommy McCarthy, Con Sheehan, Michael O'Reilly, Jason Quigley

Irish Canoe Union

€40,000 – Podium:Eoin Rheinisch

€12,000 – International:Neil Fleming, Barry Watkins, Jenny Egan

Irish Clay Pigeon Shooting Association

€40,000 – Podium:Derek Burnett

Irish Fencing Federation

€12,000 – International:Brendan Cusack

Gymnastics Ireland

€12,000 – International:Kieran Behan

Irish Hockey Association

€30,000 – International:Senior Men's Team, Senior Women's Team

Irish Judo Association

€12,000 – International:Lisa Kearney

Irish Sailing Association

€40,000 – Podium:Peter O'Leary, David Burrows, Annalise Murphy

€20,000 – World Class:Matthew McGovern, Ryan Seaton

€12,000 – International:Scott Flanigan, Ger Owens, Ian Costelloe, Anthony Hegarty, John Twomey

Irish Table Tennis Association

Irish Taekwondo Union

€12,000 – International:Jennifer Hurley

€12,000 – Developmental:Developmental Squad

€6,000 – Junior:Junior Squad

IWA Sports

€12,000 – International:Jody O'Neill (Archery), Eimear Breathnach, Rena McCarron Rooney, Philip Quinlan (all Table Tennis)

Paralympic Athletics Ireland

€40,000 – Podium:Catherine O'Neill, Michael McKillop, Jason Smyth

€20,000 – World Class:Orla Barry

€12,000 – International:Ray O'Dwyer, Nadine Lattimore, Garrett Culliton, Ailish Dunne, Sean Baldwin

Paralympic Swimming Ireland

€20,000 – World Class:Darragh McDonald, Bethany Firth, Jonathan McGrath

€12,000 – International:James Scully, Ellen Keane, Stephen Campbell

Pentathlon Ireland

€12,000 – International:Natalya Coyle

Rowing Ireland

€12,000 – International:Sanita Puspure, Lisa Dilleen, Niall Kenny, Mark O'Donovan, Michael Maher, Justin Ryan

€9,600 – International:Shane Ryan, Sarah Caffrey, Kevin DuToit, Helen Arbuthnot, Anne Marie McDaid

Swim Ireland

€40,000 – Podium:Grainne Murphy

€12,000 – International:Barry Murphy, Melanie Nocher, Christopher Bryan

Tennis Ireland

€12,000 – International:Conor Niland

Triathlon Ireland

€20,000 – World Class:Aileen Morrison

€12,000 – International:Gavin Noble