IRISH SPORTS COUNCIL GRANTS:A POTENTIALLY sweeping review of the Irish Sports Council's carding scheme is already under way based on the agreement there'll be little or no change in the existing grant allocations just six months out from the London Olympics.

It means the 2011 allocations and criteria will, in most cases, carry over into 2012 – or at least up until August – effectively ensuring the continued support for some elite athletes that might otherwise have lost out, while at the same time limiting increased support to those who might feel more entitled to it.

Some winners, and some losers, in other words – as the pool of money remains the same – last year’s carding allocation initially totalled €1.95 million, with a similar figure set aside for 2012.

The governing bodies of each sport have already been allocated their overall high-performance planning funding for 2012, with the individual athlete allocations due before the end of the month, following a final review meeting next week. “We’re looking to retain the status quo,” says Kevin Ankrom, Athletics Ireland high performance director, “and that’s what we’re on pace for. It hasn’t yet been communicated to the athletes, but no, there isn’t going to be a whole lot of changes.

“In previous years, if you didn’t do your job the way the criteria is set up, then maybe we’d have had that conversation, but I would say 99 per cent of our athletes that have been there and done that over the last few years will continue to get what they need.

“Maybe not what they want, but what they need. If this was your money, would you invest in X, Y, or Z? In some cases maybe not, that point of view always changes, but we’re always trying to maximise the return on our investment.”

While each sport does have its own individual grant criteria, there are three headline categories of support – podium (worth €40,000), world class (€20,000) and international (worth €12,000). For 2011, eight boxers qualified for €40,000, plus four athletes, three cyclists, four Paralympians, plus one canoeist and one from cerebral palsy sport.

The four athletes that qualified were David Gillick, Derval O’Rourke, Olive Loughnane and Rob Heffernan, and they can look forward to a similar reward for 2012 due to the agreement that any major reviews should only take place after the Olympics.

For now, any recent Olympic qualifiers, such as Ava Hutchinson in the marathon (who’ll get €12,000), or other performance-based criteria, such as European Cross Country champion Fionnuala Britton (who goes from €12,000 to €20,000), will be rewarded as per 2011 – the only downside is some breakthrough athletes who perhaps felt entitled to increased support for 2012, especially at podium level, could find it more difficult to claim for it, given the stagnant pool of money.

“I don’t want to prejudge any of the outcomes to next week’s meeting, but the aim is not to impact on athletes’ preparation in advance of the Games,” says Finbarr Kirwan, the Sports Council’s director of high performance. “There is a review under way, since the start of the year, for completion in advance of the Games, with a view of communicating it to the athletes and governing bodies as to what can be expected next. But any recommendations from the review will be post-London.”

It means the likes of Gillick and Loughnane can look forward to continued support for 2012, even though by their own standards they had a disappointing 2011 – podium criteria is listed as “medallists in the World Championships or Olympic Games” or “top three in the world rankings”, although as Ankrom explains, this is about potential as much as delivery.

“We had four podium athletes in 2011, each worth €40,000, and the intention is to maintain that through 2012, even though some of them wouldn’t have strictly hit that criteria. As far as the criteria goes it does talk about podium finishes, at Olympic and World level. Derval has shown that in the past, and Olive, and someone like Rob Heffernan or David Gillick have shown that potential over the years too. So it’s also about the progression these athletes are headed towards.

“It’s about intent, the potential, capability, to be able to be in that position. Derval could have made a World final in 2011, if it weren’t for injury. And what we’re also saying is if she is in a final there is an opportunity there to medal.

“We do have athletes struggling to get B-standards, and there could be some changes in that area. But anyone who’s hit that A-standard, nothing will change, at least until after 2012.”

Among the considerations up for review post London are the actual objectives of the scheme, the number of sports currently supported plus the categories of support, the performance-based criteria for each sport, and the future direction of the carding scheme.

Sports Council Carding Scheme Who got what in 2011

Podium (Up to max of €40,000)

Top 3 in the World Rankings.

Medallist in the World Championships or Olympic Games.

World Class (Up to max of €20,000)

4-8 in the World Rankings.

Medallist World Race Walking Cup.

Medallist World Indoor Championships.

Medallist European Cross Country.

Medallist European Championships.

Top 6 World Cross Country.

Top 12 World Track Field Championships or Olympic Games.

International (Up to max of €12,000)

9-16 World Rankings.

Medallist Euro Indoor Championships.

Top 8 European Cross Country Championships.

Top 6 European Cup of Race Walking.

Top 8 World Cup of Race Walking.

Top 6 World Indoor Championships.

Top 16 World Cross Country Champ’.

World Student Games Champion.

Top 16 World Champ’ or Olympic Games.

Top 8 European Championships.

‘A’ Standard for World Championships or Olympic Games.

(2012 allocations due next week)

Athletics

€40,000 – Olive Loughnane, Derval ORourke, Robert Heffernan, David Gillick. €20,000 – Paul Hession, Deirdre Ryan, Ciarán O’Lionaird. €12,000 – Fionnuala Britton, Ailis McSweeney, Colin Griffin, Ciara Mageean, Kelly Proper, Thomas Chamney, David Campbell, Mary Cullen, Joanne Cuddihy, Alistair Cragg, Stephanie Reilly.

Badminton

€12,000 – Scott Evans, Chloe Magee.

Cerebral Palsy Sport

€40,000 – Padraic Moran.

€12,000 – Johnny Cronin, Gabriel Shelly.

Cycling

€40,000 – Daniel Martin, Catherine Walsh, Mark Rohan. €20,000 – Philip Deignan, Nicholas Roche, Cathal Miller, Michael Delaney, Enda Smyth. €12,000 – David McCann, Martyn Irvine, Caroline Ryan, Kelvin Batey, Andrew Fitzgerald.

Amateur Boxing

€40,000 – John Joe Nevin, Kenneth Egan, Paddy Barnes, Darren ONeill, Katie Taylor, Eric Donovan, Tyrone McCullagh, John Joe Joyce. €20,000 – David Oliver Joyce.

€12,000 – Declan Geraghty, Ryan Burnett, Joe Ward, Ross Hickey, Eamonn OKane, Ryan Lindberg, Ray Moylette, Seán Turner, William McLaughlin, Jason Quigley, Philip Sutcliffe.

Rowing

€12,000 – Claire Lambe, Siobhan McCrohan, Niall Kenny, Michael Maher, Mark ODonovan, Justin Ryan.

Canoeing

€40,000 – Eoin Rheinisch. €12,000 – Hannah Craig,

Barry Watkins.

Clay Pigeon Shooting

€30,000 – Derek Burnett. €20,000 – Philip Murphy.

Sailing

€20,000 – Annalise Murphy, Peter OLeary.

€12,000 – Tiffany Brien, Matthew McGovern, Ryan Seaton. €6,000 – Ian Costelloe, Anthony Hegarty, John Twomey.

Taekwondo

€12,000 – Seán Joyce, Sonya McConnell.

Judo

€12,000 – Lisa Kearney.

Modern Pentathlon

Natalya Coyle.

Paralympic Athletics

€40,000 – Orla Barry, Jason Smyth, Michael McKillop.

Paralympic Swimming

€20,000 – Jonathan McGrath. €12,000 – James Scully, Stephen Campbell, Ellen Keane.

Swimming

€40,000 – Gráinne Murphy. €12,000 – Melanie Nocher, Barry Murphy, Ryan Harrison, Andrew Bree, Nuala Murphy.

Tennis

€12,000 – Conor Niland.

Triathlon

€12,000 – Aileen Morrison, Bryan Keane, Gavin Noble.