Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 June 2026
76. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the government supports for clubs in a league (details supplied); to outline how they can access this funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44464/26]
View answerThe Government’s current funding support for the development of football is channelled, via Sport Ireland, to the Football Association of Ireland, the FAI.
The State has allocated approximately €80 million in current funding to the FAI between 2019 and 2025 to support football development and grow participation. The bulk of this funding goes towards the FAI’s Youth Field Sports grants, which are aimed at encouraging and creating more opportunities for young people to participate in football through coaching and games development supports at local level. Football clubs are advised to contact the FAI directly to ascertain what supports are available in this regard.
The development of the new FAI National League will establish a clear and structured pathway for local talent to progress to the elite levels of Irish football.
My Department also operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) and the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). Since 2015, approximately €192 million has been allocated to football projects under the two programmes, to support the development of grassroots soccer facilities nationwide. Just over €96 million of this was allocated under LSSIF and almost €96 million was allocated to over 1,500 football projects under the CSFF.
The CSFF is the primary means of providing Government funding to sport and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. I have asked my Department to prepare for a further round of the CSFF in 2026 which I expect to open soon. I encourage all football clubs to prepare for this next round and to ensure applications are fully aligned with the goals and guidelines of the scheme.
The Government is committed to supporting the development of Ireland’s sporting ecosystem and the support that continues to be provided for football is a clear illustration of that commitment in action.
I am confident that the measures being implemented by the FAI and other stakeholders will leave a lasting impact on the growth of the game nationwide.
