EU funding to offset the impact of Brexit should have been used to support Irish football, that’s according to Sinn Féin.
More than €5 billion was set aside by the EU in the Brexit Adjustment Reserve. Since the UK left the European Union, member states have been able to bid for cash to account for the impact Brexit had on the economy.
Ireland was allocated the biggest share of the fund.
“The fund has rightly been used to support the tourism, agriculture and fisheries sectors but there is still a large amount unspent that the government could have used to address decades of under-investment in football academy infrastructure in the state”, says Sinn Féin’s sports spokesperson.
Chris Andrews TD and Lynn Boylan MEP organised a meeting between the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and the European Commission department in charge of the Brexit reserve.
Together they put the case that young Irish footballers have been impacted by Brexit because joining British academies is no longer an option.
“This has created a substantial gap in a crucial period of development that so many relied on”, says Chris Andrews.
The FAI wants investment in Irish football academies to encourage home talent.
According to Sinn Féin, the European Commission confirmed that the FAI would have had “a fair case to access this funding”.
Speaking after the meeting in Brussels, Mark Scanlon from the Football Association of Ireland said they had explained to EU officials “some of the impacts of Brexit on Irish football.”
He said they want to see “funding to help develop our own academies system in Ireland for the future development of young Irish players.”
The FAI has also been lobbying the Irish government directly.
Back in June, he met with Minister Paschal Donohoe where investment into “League of Ireland Academies” was discussed.
Asked about the use of Brexit funding, a spokesperson for the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media said:
“The allocation of funding from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) is a matter for the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. Information on the BAR, including the applicable eligibility criteria, is accordingly available from that Department.
If the Football Association of Ireland has a specific project in mind, the Department is available to assist with and support an application for BAR funding.”
The European Commission says member states have until 30 September 2024 to submit an application for financial contributions from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.