Govt gives IRFU €3.5m boost
The Irish Sports Council is providing the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) with €3.5m to develop the game at grass roots this year, it was announced today.
Sports Minister John O’Donoghue said the money was being made available under the Special Budget Measure, which has the aim of creating more opportunities for young people to participate in field sports.
Today’s announcement brought the total funding by the Irish Sports Council for the IRFU to €15m since the measure was introduced in 2001, he said.
Mr O’Donoghue, speaking at Landsdowne Road, said the Government was committed to encouraging more people to take part in sports and physical activity.
“I have great faith in the ability of the IRFU to deliver substantially on behalf of Irish sport.
“Rugby is a sport that draws on a great tradition in the schools, clubs and communities within which it is played,” he said.
The minister commended the IRFU for its work expanding outside its traditional support base, the development of TAG rugby, and for its version of the Sports Council’s Buntus scheme in which the union introduced primary school children in Limerick to the game.
The IRFU currently has sports development officers around the country and 21 programmes will be funded in 2005, each of which is designed to support a segment of the game.
“These are the essential programmes that build a healthy game and, ultimately, into the high level success we have enjoyed in recent years,” the minister said.
