Over the past three financial years, up to March 2024, Sport NI has issued Exchequer funding of almost £39·4 million and National Lottery funding of just over £17 million. That funding consisted of 3,394 grant awards to over 1,963 bodies, which included grassroots sports governing bodies. In 2023-24, Sport NI invested £7·1 million of National Lottery funding into 37 sports governing bodies, and that figure will increase to almost £8 million. In 2023-24, Sport NI awarded just over £1·37 million of capital funding for the purpose of improving sports facilities, including those that will benefit grassroots clubs.

By way of comparison, I can advise that, of the funding paid out that year, the Irish Football Association received £500,000, Ulster GAA received £440,000, Ulster Rugby received £450,000, golf received £264,000 and tennis received £52,000. The £1·37 million of capital investment programmes that were administered included the Building Better Sports Facilities programme, the Your School Your Club initiative, stadia safety and the renewable energy fund, and nine different sports have benefited.