SPORTS GRANTS: The Irish Sports Council has withheld high performance funding for Athletics Ireland for the coming year until the ongoing dispute within the organisation has been resolved and both a director of athletics and director of coaching have been appointed.
While the individual athletes were today awarded their high performance grants for 2009 under the carding scheme, Athletics Ireland itself will have to wait until the outstanding issues are addressed before the association receives any grant. Last year the body received a total €681,000.
The Sports Council will meet officials from Athletics Ireland next week and attempt to work out a high performance strategy for the coming year but until that is signed off funding will only be provided on a short-term basis.
The director of athletics position has been vacant since Beijing, when the term of Max Jones expired, and while Athletics Ireland had put forward a candidate in November, there still hasn’t been any agreement on who should take over.
The boxing team’s success at the Beijing Olympics has seen its allocation increase with the boxers and Irish Amateur Boxing Association receiving a total of €1.1 million. Kenny Egan and Paddy Barnes, both medallists in China, and World Champion Katie Taylor are among six boxers to be awarded €40,000 in funding, the maximum grade for a contracted athlete.
In total, nine contracted athletes will receive €40,000 with canoeist Eoin Rheinisch and Paralympians Jason Smyth and Michael McKillop also in the top band.
None of the Irish team involved in the European Indoor Athletics Championships are in the contracted grade for the coming year. Derval O’Rourke and Mary Cullen have nevertheless been awarded world class status and will receive €20,000 each.
In total, the athletes will receive €2.26 million under the carding scheme, down some €340,000 on last year. The individual sporting bodies are due to receive €5.118 million, again down on the figure for the previous 12 months although this is likely to increase once the finances for Athletics Ireland have been factored in.
High Performance Plan Funding
Badminton
Badminton Ireland - €140,000
Boxing
Irish Amateur Boxing Association - €670,000
Canoeing
Irish Canoe Union - €250,000
Cricket
Cricket Ireland - €50,000
Cycling
Cycling Ireland - €445,000
Golf
Golf Union of Ireland - €330,000
Golf Ladies
Irish Ladies Golf Union - €118,000
Hockey
Irish Hockey Association - €525,000
Horsesport
Horsesport Ireland - €600,000
Rowing
Irish Amateur Rowing Union - €450,000
Sailing
Irish Sailing Association - €450,000
Clay Pigeon Shooting
Irish Clay Pigeon Shooting Association - €60,000
Swimming
Swim Ireland - €400,000
Tennis
Tennis Ireland - €180,000
Triathlon
Triathlon Ireland - €50,000
Paralympics
Paralympic Council of Ireland - €400,000
Total - €5,118,000
List Of Contracted And World Class Athletes
Irish Amateur Boxing Association
Paddy Barnes – Contracted, €40,000
Ross Hickey – Contracted, €40,000
John Joe Joyce – Contracted, €40,000
Eamonn O'Kane – Contracted, €40,000
Kenny Egan – Contracted, €40,000
Katie Taylor – Contracted, €40,000
John Joe Nevin – Contracted, €30,000
David Oliver Joyce - World Class, €20,000
Ryan Lindberg - World Class, €20,000
Con Sheehan - World Class, €20,000
Darren O'Neill - World Class, €20,000
Roy Sheahan - World Class, €20,000
Irish Canoe Union
Eoin Rheinisch – Contracted, €40,000
Paralympic Athletics Ireland
Michael McKillop – Contracted. €40,000
Jason Smyth – Contracted, €40,000
Orla Barry - World Class, €20,000
Garrett Culliton - World Class, €20,000
Cerebral Palsy Sport Ireland
Gabriel Shelly – Contracted, €36,600
Padraic Moran - World Class, €20,000
Paralympic Swimming
Darragh McDonald – Contracted, €26,270
Athletics Ireland
Eileen O'Keeffe - World Class, €20,000
Olive Loughnane - World Class, €20,000
Roisin McGettigan - World Class, €20,000
Robert Heffernan - World Class, €20,000
Alistair Cragg - World Class, €20,000
Fionnnuala Britton - World Class, €20,000
Paul Hession - World Class, €20,000
David Gillick - World Class, €20,000
Derval O'Rourke - World Class, €20,000
Mary Cullen - World Class, €20,000
Cycling Ireland
David O'Loughlin - World Class, €20,000
Cathal Miller - World Class, €20,000
Catherine Walsh - World Class, €20,000
Joanna Hickey - World Class, €20,000
Irish Clay Pigeon Shooting
Philip Murphy - World Class, €20,000
Derek Burnett - World Class, €20,000
Irish Sailing Association
Anthony Shanks - World Class, €20,000
Max Treacy - World Class, €20,000
Click here for a full breakdown of funding received under the International Carding Scheme