Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Sport and Recreational Development

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 February 2022

Thursday, 24 February 2022

Ceisteanna (53)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Ceist:

53. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of efforts to bridge the gaps in participation in sport by women and persons with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10438/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Increased participation in sport is a key objective of my Department. In the pursuit of that objective, we are committed to a Sport for All approach aimed at ensuring that all persons have the opportunity to partake equally in sport and physical activity, regardless of age, social-economic status, disability, or membership of, for example, the LGBTI+ community, the Traveller community or other ethnic minorities. Increasing participation amongst these groups is a core objective of the National Sports Policy 2018-2027.

At the end of November 2021, I launched a new Sports Action Plan covering the period up to the end of 2023, which includes a series of actions and initiatives aimed at increasing participation levels across the board. The plan's emphasis is heavily orientated towards increasing inclusion, diversity and equality in sport.

That plan contains a specific commitment to establish an Inclusion, Diversity and Equality Fund to promote increased and sustainable participation in sport among children, adolescents and young adults, those from lower socio-economic groups, persons with a disability, the LGBTI+ community, the Traveller community and other ethnic minorities. It further commits that this fund will apply the Sport for All ethos. Work is underway to embed the Sport for All approach in funding drawn down from the Dormant Accounts funds that are specifically aimed at increasing participation levels amongst disadvantaged communities and people with a disability. Forthcoming rounds of funding will place further emphasis on the Sport for All approach. The total amount of funding being allocated from the Dormant Accounts funding for such projects this year is €12 million, more than twice the amount available a number of years ago and representing a 20% increase on last year's provision.

The Deputy may also wish to note that Sport Ireland is in the process of developing a specific Diversity and Inclusion policy which is expected to be launched shortly.

In relation to participation in sport by women and girls, the aim in the National Sports Policy 2018-2027 is to eliminate the gender participation gap in sport entirely by 2027. The 2019 Irish Sports Monitor Report showed that the gender gap in sports participation was 3.4%, narrower than at any point over the past ten years.

While the Irish Sports Monitor report for the first quarter of 2021 showed that the gender gap was eliminated during the Covid-19 restrictions, the latest Irish Sports Monitor figures for Quarter 3 show that a gender gap is beginning to re-emerge as COVID 19 restrictions are lifted. The emerging gradient is a cause for focus and ongoing monitoring. To this end, many National Governing Bodies are delivering Women in Sport and Dormant Accounts Funded Programmes this winter which will actively target populations that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic including females, economically and socially disadvantaged communities, people with a disability and ethnic minorities. These targeted activities form part of a Winter Initiative for sport to kickstart participation following the reduction in restrictions.

The Women in Sport funding programme is an important support for sporting bodies in putting programmes in place to increase women’s participation in their sports and to progress their strategic objectives for women in sport. Last year, Sport Ireland announced an investment of €4m in the Women in Sport Programme for the two years 2021 and 2022. 45 National Governing Bodies (NGBs) will receive funding under this investment. A further €265,000 was invested last year in the Local Sports Partnerships under the Programme.

Finally, in terms of bridging the gap in administrative participation in sports, the Sports Action Plan sets a target for all NGBs to achieve 40% gender representation on their boards by the end of 2023. It is a particular priority for me to enable women to take more leadership positions in sport and the 40% target reflects this prioritisation. The most recent Board Composition Snapshot, which was published by Sport Ireland in December, shows that the overall percentage of women on boards of NGBs has increased from 24% in 2019 to 32% in 2021. The Snapshot also highlights that 39 NGBs have now achieved 30% or more women on their board, up from 19 NGBs in 2019. Sport Ireland will continue to provide support to NGBs towards achieving the target of 40% and will monitor and report on progress.

Barr
Roinn