SPORT Ireland (SI) has confirmed the amount Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) would need to contribute to qualify for its current High Performance (HP) funding is €180,000. It comes after HSI confirmed it expects to generate €240,000 from the levy, based on previous annual international entries.

The total equates to approximately 5,300 FEI entries per year. HSI has previously confirmed the entire amount generated by the levy, including anything over the Sport Ireland contribution, will go to the HP programme, which, The Irish Field understands, cost in the region of €1.4m in 2025.

Based on that estimate, Sport Ireland would contribute €900,000 with the levy topping that up to €1,140,000.

HSI confirmed the income generated from the add-on it applies to FEI licence fees goes ‘directly into the sport budget’.

“It is used to fund, among other costs, the anti-doping programme, welfare and safeguarding costs, and administration and services,” they said. “Any HP costs above Sport Ireland’s contribution must be paid for by HSI, through income generated by HSI.”

A response on the levy matter from Sport Ireland said it “expects that National Governing Bodies (HSI in this case) contribute 20% to their own High Performance programmes. This is outlined in the Sport Ireland High Performance Strategy 2021-2032. In the example given of an annual grant of €900,000, the NGB contribution would be €180,000. The 2026 allocation will be announced in the first quarter of 2026. Please note that the €900,000 investment is multi-annual, so €3.6m will be provided up to 2028.

“Sport Ireland is aware of the introduction of the new Horse Sport Ireland levy on entries,” it continued.

“NGBs use different methods to generate income; it isn’t clear that there is a direct comparison in other sports to the processing of entries into international competition. Sport Ireland does not approve or mandate specific actions to generate income.

“The 20% threshold was introduced under the previous HP strategy. The purpose of matched funding is to share investment risk, bring financial sustainability and encourage autonomous operations from independent NGBs.”

Horse Sport Ireland has confirmed it will not consider scrapping the levy and it remains in place.