Cycling Ireland has been allocated €520,000 by Sport Ireland for its high performance (HP) programme this year. The allocation was announced on Wednesday at the same time athlete funding - for 21 cyclists - was also unveiled by Sport Ireland.
This year's HP programme funding for Cycling Ireland - and sums awarded to other national governing bodies - is part of a long-term Sport Ireland funding strategy, for 2021 to 2024 inclusive, covering the current Olympic cycle.
Sport Ireland said the HP programme cash - set full list of sums below for all sports - was also intended to fund pathway development. Those pathways are intended for young and emerging athletes who are not yet at the level of receiving individual funding, like the 21 cyclists funded today, through Sport Ireland's international carding scheme.
"High performance programme funding is provided to hational governing bodies to support the delivery of their performance programmes," said Sport Ireland. "This funding supports a range of activities including training camps and competitions, pathway development, performance services and performance team salaries.
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"These programmes are central to supporting Irish athletes and teams in reaching finals and achieving medals at European Championships and World Championships, as well as the Olympic and Paralympic Games."
Under the international carding scheme - which is completely separate to the national governing body HP programme funding - cyclists and other athletes were awarded annual funding today if they achieved certain results in 2022 set down in Sport Ireland's criteria.
Those athletes are eligible for sums of €40,000 (for 'podium' contenders, bumped up to €60,000 for paracyclist-pilot tandem pairings), €25,000 (for those regarded as 'word class') or €18,000 (for those ranked at 'international' level). The 21 cyclists whose funding was announced today included tandem pairings, meaning 17 cyclists and four tandem pilots were allocated funding.
Those athletes who met the criteria last year are now funded for this year and next year. The intent behind a two-year allocation is to ensure athletes can plan ahead as they try to qualify, and then perform at, the Paris Olympics next year. A smaller number of athletes, including one cyclist, were also funded despite not having satisfied the results-based Sport Ireland criteria last year.
However, each of those athletes is only funded for 2023, and not for 2024. While they did not meet the results criteria, their national governing body made a special request to Sport Ireland to include them in the international carding scheme for 2023. That flexibility - in agreeing to fund athletes for a year even though they did not meet the criteria - will hopefully be extended to more than one cyclist in the years ahead, as was the case in other sports for this year.
| National Governing Body | 2023 Funds | 2021-24 Funds |
| Rowing Ireland | €1,093,333 | €3,900,000 |
| Paralympics Ireland | €1,000,000 | €3,700,000 |
| Irish Athletic Boxing Association | €965,000 | €3,500,000 |
| Athletics Ireland | €841,667 | €3,365,000 |
| Hockey Ireland | €856,667 | €3,300,000 |
| Irish Sailing Association | €800,000 | €3,200,000 |
| Horse Sport Ireland | €803,333 | €3,100,000 |
| Swim Ireland | €756,667 | €2,900,000 |
| Cycling Ireland | €520,000 | €2,000,000 |
| Golf Ireland | €516,667 | €2,000,000 |
| Gymnastics Ireland | €506,667 | €1,750,000 |
| Irish Rugby Football Union | €416,667 | €1,550,000 |
| Badminton Ireland | €346,667 | €1,200,000 |
| Cricket Ireland | €333,333 | €1,200,000 |
| Pentathlon Ireland | €286,667 | €1,150,000 |
| Triathlon Ireland | €250,000 | €1,000,000 |
| Irish Judo Association | €226,667 | €750,000 |
| Canoeing Ireland | €216,667 | €700,000 |
| Irish Taekwondo Union | €150,000 | €500,000 |
