The Labour Party has proposed the introduction of tax-free grants to amateur sports people, including GAA players, as part of a new sports and recreation policy.
It also proposed extra funding, with the ring-fencing of 75 per cent of lottery money for sports capital funding, and has suggested that grants be administered in future by an independent sports body, instead of the Department of Sport.
The current funding system has been criticised as being politicised, with allocations suggesting the home counties of sport and finance ministers are favoured.
Under the Labour plans, the Irish Sports Council would be renamed Sport and Recreation Ireland and would be given responsibility for the allocation of grants for sporting projects, in addition to its role in co-ordinating funding for sporting bodies.
A central part of its proposals is for a grants scheme to be called Gradam, and would be modelled on the Aosdána scheme for the arts. This would provide grants to "the elite" of the amateur sector. GAA players have consistently complained of being excluded from the sports funding system.
Labour has also promised legislation to address the issue of access to uplands areas by hill walkers, including indemnifying landowners from liability relating to accidents by walkers on their lands.
Physical education would also become a full subject in Junior and Leaving Cert courses, attracting college points under the plan.
It also provides for the removal of the legislative provision that allows the Government to divert lottery funding for general exchequer purposes.
Speaking at the launch yesterday, Labour sports spokesman Jack Wall said that the provision of adequate sport and recreation funding and facilities was becoming increasingly important because of modern lifestyles.
"Many of our people live busy and demanding lives, so we accept the principle that quality of family time must be given priority status in our policies," Mr Wall said, citing rising obesity levels, especially in children, as a concern.
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue welcomed Labour's "belated commitment to sport funding".
"They spent nine years criticising Government investment in sport despite the fact that over €900 million was allocated to sport between 1998 and 2006," he added.
Mr O'Donoghue said the annual budget for sport was now more than €240 million.