The government has set a target of securing 20 medals at the Olympic Games in 2028 in its new National Sports Policy.
The Minister for Sport says it's his intention to double the funding for sport from €112 million in 2018 to €220 million in 2027.
€1.5 million will be allocated to high performance programmes next year for Tokyo 2020 preparations.
Sports Minister @Shane_RossTD plays cricket with the kids at St Laurence O’Toole Recreation Centre on Sheriff St in Dublin at the launch of the National Sports Policy. pic.twitter.com/hLVPqsHpGV
— Kim Buckley (@KiiimBuckley) July 25, 2018
Other key targets include the overall participation in sport to rise from 43% to 50% of the population by 2027 and the creation of a dedicated €1m programme for Disability Sport through the deployment of a Sport Inclusion Disability Officer in all 26 LSPs countrywide.
In the short term, Shane Ross is aiming to double the funding for the 'Women in Sport' programme to €2 million.
9 year old Charlie helped launch the policy this morning after she wrote to the Minister asking him to get more girls involved.
9 year old Charlie Moore has helped launch the National Sports Policy after she wrote this letter to @Shane_RossTD asking him to get more girls involved in sport. pic.twitter.com/4Df0ulf3Ay
— Kim Buckley (@KiiimBuckley) July 25, 2018
Over the next ten years, the high-level goals of the National Sports Policy are; increased Participation, more excellence and improved capacity.
Minister Ross said: “The publication of this policy is an important milestone for the Irish sporting community and sets out a Vision for Irish Sport in 2027, along with 57 actions to transform our sporting landscape over the next decade. Increasing participation is the cornerstone of this policy. We want to see every citizen engaging regularly in some form of sport and physical activity, irrespective of their background or their physical capabilities. Together with the stakeholders across all levels of sport in this country, we will relentlessly pursue the aims of this policy to elevate Ireland to the top of the table globally for both participation in sport and high performance over the next decade.”
