Fine Gael TD Emer Currie has said that the government needs to take advantage of the renewed interest in domestic football.
Speaking in the Dáil last week, Currie noted that attendances in the Irish Premier League were up 8% in 2025, up from already strong figures in 2024, and that translated to over 1.1 million people attending League of Ireland matches across Dublin.
She said that football is “clearly on the up” in Ireland, and asked junior sporting Minister Charlie McConalogue what actions are being taken from a government standpoint.
Minister McConalogue said that Brexit has ended up having a positive impact on Irish football, noting that young Irish talent are staying in Ireland for longer, instead of moving to English clubs at a young age as was the case for many years.
He said the key to continued Irish success was to make those same young players stay in Ireland, and to that end, the government has designated a €3 million multi-annual allocation to boost Ireland’s football academy set-ups.
The Fianna Fáil TD said that bringing Ireland’s academy system up to a modern and professional standard was a priority of the Department of Sport.
Citing the examples of Michael Noonan, Victor Ozhianvuna or Mason Melia as proof of young Irish football talent, the Donegal TD said, “we want the League of Ireland to grow to a strength we have never before seen.”
He added that the funding will “provide the structures and pathways required to support future generations of Irish players, male and female, and maximise the potential of Irish football.”
With Ireland’s men’s team looking to make it to its first World Cup since 2002 with play-off fixtures later this month, Currie said “if we want a stronger national team, we must strengthen the domestic system that produces it.”
“The League of Ireland is no longer peripheral; it is absolutely central to Ireland’s football future,” she said.
“As the League of Ireland grows in profile, the conditions are in place to nurture talent in a way that we have not seen for decades. If we build on this momentum over the lifetime of the government, we can match the pride and dedication of our supporters, including those who travel nationwide for their clubs and follow the national teams abroad, with sustained investment, planning and proper structures,” the Fine Gael TD said.
“By doing so, we can ensure Irish football reflects the ambition, passion and commitment that supporters already bring to the game.”