The Pitch: Basketball vows to fight for what it deserves

In both cases the ex-ministers were support legs in coalition Governments, rewarded for their loyalty with what was once a seemingly unbreakable portfolio of responsibilities, particularly around sport and its funding.

However, sports fund distributions are an increasing area of concern, as the latest round of Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) payments and the snub to the redevelopment of the National Basketball Arena showed.

In an interview with The Pitch, Basketball Ireland chief executive John Feehan insists the project had “ticked every box”, achieved support from South Dublin County Council, and had a clear and coherent business and investment plan in place.

And from a sport which has grown its participation numbers higher than any other NGB over the last year – by an impressive 21 per cent - according to Feehan.

But basketball was deemed not a big enough vote winner ahead of the election, in fact it was a victim of what has emerged as proportional representation when it comes to funding based on geographical breakdown over need.

A financial analysis by The Pitch has found that no exclusive basketball project was awarded funding from the Department’s €173,250,000 divvy out of investment through LSSIF last month.

The most significant application sought was towards supporting the €38m construction of Basketball Ireland’s new headquarters in Tallaght, a venue and potential future host of European Championships, internationals, key domestic games and schools finals.

“We’re very disappointed with the decision, particularly when we ticked every box we could have ticked, particularly around ethnic diversity and gender – where 50 per cent of our participants are women and girls,” John Feehan told The Pitch.

Feehan said the proposed facility would also be available for other indoor sports to use and would be open to badminton, volleyball - even adaptable to host squash and tennis tournaments, but still it failed to get over the line with then-Minister Martin and Junior Minister Thomas Byrne.

“For a project this big, it needs to be part funded by ourselves, and we gave a very detailed plan,” adds Feehan.

“Don’t forget as an NGB Sport Ireland encourages all national organisations to put funds back into the sport - which we do – so we don’t have any big capital reserves to fall back on, as a not-for-profit.

“It’s very disappointing for everyone, including South Dublin County Council who considered it a high priority themselves (and granted planning permission last September).” 

To put into perspective how under-rated basketball sits politically we’ve analysed the LSSIF round of investment by the Government and where the fourth biggest team sport in the country lags behind football and GAA.

Football exclusive projects received €45M while facilities which included a soccer element received another €18.8M.

GAA exclusive facilities received €29M while projects which included a Gaelic games element received €35M, totalling €64M.

While no exclusive basketball funding was distributed, a small number of multi-sports projects - which included a basketball facility - received €14.7M.

Football and GAA received the vast majority of funding with more than €120m poured into projects exclusive to both sports.

A breakdown on how funding is shared out around Ireland shows a clear Dublin versus the ‘rest of the country’ ratio consistent with population, and funding given.

Dublin’s population of 1.45m (according to official census figures) is 28 per cent of the national number of 5.14m, while the amount paid to Dublin based projects through LSSIF funding was around the same – at 26.5 per cent.

This means that no matter how in need certain projects were for funding, once it was deemed to exceed the national versus capital quota it didn’t make it into the pot – like basketball.

Many will see this as a fair and equitable system where facility investments are shared proportionally but that’s not the case where the odds are stacked against basketball.

Compare this to Dalymount Park, for example, a facility which is not vital to the sporting infrastructure of Dublin – although its key stakeholders will argue to the contrary.

Far from being an urgent build, if indeed necessary at all, the Dalymount plan has been chugging around for a decade now, in a city where there is an abundance of football facilities while other cities go without.

While Dublin has the Aviva and Tallaght Stadium, Cork, Galway and Limerick have nothing close to that standard, but yet, it will have another stadium thanks to €24.5m of LSSIF investment for a new Dalymount.

A key insider at the Department this week said that the recent funding decision-making and its subsequent announcement “was a complete mess based primarily on politics”.

Such comments are a clear cause for concern as Basketball Ireland plans its next course of action.

John Feehan has vowed not to take the snub lying down, insisting: “We’re not giving up on this, programme, we know where we are on this – but we do need the government to step up.

“It’s a process, a delay as far as I’m concerned - it’s so important, in terms of our sport but also for many indoor sports (which could use the facility including volleyball and badminton).”

While we’re a way from a new Government being formed, the key hope for Basketball Ireland and others is that there will be a Minister who presides over sports funding put in place, who will make decisions on merit only.

The most suitably qualified candidate for the senior ministerial role is Alan Dillon, a formidable force while a member of the Public Accounts Committee and through his work on the Joint Committee for Sport, and someone who has experienced elite and amateur sport.

What cannot happen is that such a vital department – and one which bailed out RTÉ by €725m and provided tens of millions to the FAI in rescue packages – is not simply handed over as a novelty prize to whichever minority political grouping helps to form the next administration.

A spokesperson for the Department said it “will be engaging with LSSIF applicants who did not receive an allocation and will provide feedback on their application”.

“It should be noted that a reserve list is being prepared by the Department, on which all remaining valid LSSIF applications will be assessed and placed in a prioritised order, for funding as additional LSSIF funding becomes available.” 

Aga Khan wins top prize at HRI end of year awards 

The Contribution to the Industry Award has gone to the Aga Khan. While champion trainers Willie Mullins and Aidan O’Brien have also been honoured.

Galoin Des Champs was recognised as the 2024 Horse of the Year, after landing back-to-back successes in the Cheltenham Gold Cup for owner Audrey Turley, trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend.

Mullins became the first ever Irish trainer to win British National Hunt Title, which sits alongside his now 18 Irish titles, in a year which also saw him saddle up more than 100 Cheltenham winners.

Other awards went to Tom Gibney who trained Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles, while Fermanagh’s David Christie won the Point-to-Point award.