Sport Ireland carried out 2,029 anti-doping tests last year, up 11 per cent on the previous year, while overall costs rose to just under €3 million.
There was only one rule violation reported in 2024, although that stemmed from an event in the previous year
According to the 2024 annual report, now in its 25th year, the testing was carried out in 35 sports, with 22 per cent of samples collected in-competition, while the majority (78 per cent) were obtained out-of-competition.
Athletics Ireland was the most targeted sporting body, with 331 tests, followed by Rowing Ireland (298), the IRFU (209) and the GAA (200).
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In a joint statement previously announced last August, Sport Ireland and the Irish Judo Association confirmed Lisa Farrelly had committed an anti-doping rule violation in 2023. Farrelly participated in competitions and activities while already subject to a period of ineligibility and was sanctioned with an additional period of ineligibility of four years.
There is also one pending case of an alleged rule violation.
The total expenditure of the anti-doping programme for 2024 was €2,936,957, including €624,935 on salaries, and €143,874 on education and research. Only four new therapeutic use exemptions were approved in 2024. Total costs in 2023 also increased to €2.44 million, up on €2.05 million from 2022
“The Anti-Doping Unit’s dedication to clean sport and an athlete-first approach ensures sportspeople can excel while prioritising their physical and mental health,” said Sport Ireland chief executive Úna May.
“This approach is crucial in safeguarding both performance integrity and athlete wellbeing,” added Dr May.
According to Sport Ireland, the commitment to clean sport hinges on a proactive “education first” approach, and in 2024, they delivered 42 education sessions that reached 1,469 stakeholders.
