The organisation behind the Special Olympics has warned it may have to curtail its programme of sports training and competition unless it receives funding from the European Commission.
Special Olympics Europe is seeking €15 million annually in order to maintain and expand its programmes in all 27 EU member states.
The not-for-profit organisation has half a million European athletes with an intellectual disability taking part in its year round sports training programmes and competitions.
It said today the funding would allow the organisation to reach out to hundreds of thousands more people with intellectual disability, and their families, living across the EU.
Currently, the Special Olympics US organisation funds any shortfall in programme funding in the EU but this is not sustainable over the long-term, Special Olympics Europe said.
Special Olympics Europe said it needs at least €2 million for 2010 Special Olympics European Summer Games in Warsaw, Poland and a further €6 million for the Athens Games in Greece in 2011.
The remainder of the funding requested from Europe will be used both for European operations and to help aid Special Olympics in every EU member state to run their year round sports and support programmes
"It's widely recognised that Ireland has one of the best supported Special Olympics programmes in the world – however, many of our EU counterparts are not so lucky," said Mary Davis, managing director of Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia.
"We want to ensure that people with intellectual disabilities and their families in our EU neighbouring countries have the same opportunities as people in Ireland to access our programmes."
Ms Davis, who was formerly chief executive of Special Olympics Ireland, will be making the case for multi-annual funding to the EU sports ministers at a council meeting in Biarritz, France on Friday.
Ireland hosted the World Special Olympics in 2003 with 150 countries represented, 7,000 competitors in 18 official sports, more than 30,000 volunteers and 500,000 spectators.
Minister for Sports Martin Cullen has offered his backing to the organisation's bid for additional funding for Special Olympics.
