Three of Ireland's main national governing bodies for sport have been handed a 9.9m euro (£8.4m) funding boost by the Irish government in a bid to increase and maintain participation.

Irish sports minister Martin Cullen announced that the funding, which will be made available through the Irish Sports Council, will help support programmes designed to develop football, gaelic games and rugby union across the country. The Gaelic Games Association (GAA) is set to receive 3.29m euro (£2.79m), the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has been awarded 3.5m euro (£2.97m), and 3.07m euro (£2.61m) has been earmarked for the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU).

It is hoped that the funding will help to encourage more young people to participate in Ireland's major field sports, with more opportunities expected to be created for those coming from disadvantaged communities. Among the schemes to benefit from the investment is the GAA's hurling development programme, the FAI's player development and coach education initiatives and the IRFU's primary school participation programme.

Cullen said: "The GAA, FAI and IRFU are deeply committed to broadening the participation base of their sports. Supported by the Irish Sports Council, their programmes deliver quality opportunities in sport for every community in Ireland. "One of the Irish Sports Council's key strategic priorities is increasing participation in sport in Ireland. We know form experience that team sports are particularly important in the younger age range. In an Irish context, that places a particular emphasis on the 'Big Three'."