IRISH TEAMS PREPARING to go to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 and world championships are to benefit from an additional €1.5 million in funding, it was announced today.

Minister for Tourism and Sports Shane Ross made the announcement in front of the Irish women’s hockey team as they returned today from the Women’s Hockey World Cup, where they were runners-up.

In an interview broadcast on RTÉ he said: “People say how is the government going to respond to this extraordinary achievement? Well, let me tell you.”

He said that in respect to what the Irish hockey team has done, “and in particular because of the timing of what you’ve done”, the government has decided to give an extra €1.5 million for Olympic and world champion preparation.

He said that hockey “will enjoy a significant share of that particular funding”.

There was an emotional reaction from the Irish hockey team to the news.

Yesterday, Minister Ross and John Treacy, CEO of Sport Ireland, said that the hockey team had not had to pay a reported €550 levy to take part in the World Cup. But Treacy did say that Sport Ireland would have loved to have given the team more money.

The team will return to the country for a special homecoming celebration in Dublin at 3pm today. Find out more about it here.