BIG READ: Tipperary Senator calls for increased funding of the FAI and grassroots football

Tipperary Senator Garret Ahearn made a very vocal plea in the seanad last week for the government’s continued support of the FAI and specifically their plans to invest in grassroots football across the country.

On Wednesday, June 11, Senator Ahearn addressed the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth Michael Moynihan firstly by outlining the FAI’s recent track record of clever investment and positive results.

“The FAI has done excellent work over recent years, particularly in its 2022-2025 strategy, 80% of which is completed. This work has been led by the president, Mr. Paul Cooke, and by the CEO, Mr. David Courell.

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“There has been a lot done on increasing participation. We now have 234,000 people in the country playing soccer, an increase of 7% in three years.

“In terms of female participation, we have seen an increase of 27% in participation. That goes back to the success of the women's game internationally when playing in the World Cup in Australia a number of years ago.

“Sponsorship has been increased, being doubled in recent years, and the ticketing from national games and League of Ireland has been increased. There has been a lot done.”

Senator Ahearn also sought to dispell the idea that the FAI’s investment plans over the coming decade would solely benefit football clubs based in Dublin.

“What the FAI is putting together is a programme and plan for the next ten years which will transform the League of Ireland and the underage and academy levels. Essentially, it is planning to set up 26 centres of excellence academy locations across the country.

“Six of them will be in Dublin city - people will be familiar with the likes of Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians and Shelbourne - and there will be 19 around the country in the likes of Wexford, Waterford, Kerry, Cobh Ramblers, Cork, Galway United and Finn Harps. They will be almost everywhere in the country.

“The reason for this is to try to create an opportunity for young children throughout the country because one of the challenges the League of Ireland and the FAI have had is losing talent in certain areas because we do not have that centre of excellence.

“What the organisation is trying to do is to build that opportunity and build a pathway within those academy locations so as to have a pyramid system where there is an opportunity for young talented players to be able to progress to a level at which they can achieve, which could be at international level, League of Ireland level or a lower league level, and to have a more structured base to create those opportunities.”

The Senator insisted that the government’s financial investment in the FAI would essentially need to double over the coming years for the country’s grassroots programmes to catch up to competing nations around the world.

“This plan is over an 11-year period, with continuous investment from the FAI, but the hope is to get investment from the Government. At the moment, €8 million a year is put in. Under the plan, we are looking at €16 million a year, so there is an €8 million multiyear investment being sought from the Government, starting in this upcoming budget.

“What that essentially will do is close the gap from where Ireland is positioned from a grassroots level compared with other countries across the world.

“We currently have a situation where players do not have the opportunity to get the top-quality level coaching they need to be able to get to the level they need to reach.

“The FAI is asking that we put that money forward. Some 81% of that funding will go right back into the clubs on the ground. It does not stay in Dublin. It goes right back into the ground to promote players.”

Deputy Michael Moynihan’s response outlined the significant State funding that the FAI has received in recent times.

“While the FAI has sought significant State funding to support its academic development plans, it is important to note the sizable financial support directed to the FAI and to football more generally over the past number of years.

“More than €75 million in State funding was allocated to the Football Association of Ireland between 2019 and 2024, including €30.2 million specifically to support development and aimed at promoting participation in football by young people, with the balance in funding comprising Covid-specific and energy supports to the FAI and the wider football association.

He continued: “In respect of State support for the development of facilities, more than €100 million in capital funding was allocated to Irish football in the second half of 2024.

“Under the large-scale sport infrastructure fund, €54.4 million was allocated in November 2024 to football stadium projects at Finn Harps, Dalymount Park, Sligo Rovers and Wexford.

“An additional €50.6 million was allocated from the community sports and equipment fund in 2024 to support the development of grassroots club football facilities nationwide.

“A new memorandum was signed on 17 December last, which will increase State funding to the FAI to €6 million per annum for the 2024-27 period. The bulk of this funding will go towards the FAI’s youth field sports grants, which are aimed at developing the grassroots of the game, improving coaching and playing standards, growing participation numbers and embracing communities outside of the traditional base of the sport.”

Deputy Moynihan concluded by adding that the government will also be funding the hosting of EURO 2028, which is to be played across Ireland and the UK.

Senator Ahearn’s response centred around the impact of Brexit on Ireland’s footballing prospects, and the need to develop homegrown talent at home, rather than the more traditional route of sending promising teenagers to clubs in the UK.

“There has been a big change since Brexit. Essentially, back in the day, the likes of Robbie Keane, Damien Duff and people like them went to the UK when they were 14 or 15, became great players, played for Ireland and played for great clubs. They had coaching at Spurs, Liverpool and clubs like that – the top-quality, best-in-the-world-type coaching one could get.

“Now, because of Brexit, players cannot go to the UK until they are 18, which means we have players in Ireland who have been signed for record fees but are still playing in League of Ireland.

“We have players who are 16 and 17 going to the UK in a year or two but who are still in Ireland now, and they need the same quality of young-age coaching to be at that level when they go over to those clubs to achieve great things in the future for Ireland.”

Deputy Moynihan ended the discussion by assuring the Senator that the government recognises the importance of continued funding when it comes to Ireland’s sporting bodies, and that the FAI has and will continue to produce results when it comes to grassroots football.

“Much work has been done with the FAI over the past number of years and we will continue to do so. It is an important sport in our communities, and it is important that we engage and encourage more people.

“There’s also a great deal of work being done by football clubs the length and breadth of the country.”

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