Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is a really important session. We have just had a session with the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, and we have to acknowledge that he has put a significant focus on inclusivity in sport, particularly in encouraging and trying to facilitate more participation from females in sport. That has to be welcomed, whether it is through participation on boards, funding mechanisms or encouraging organisations that apply for funding to increase their level of female participation. That is a stamp the Minister of State has managed to put on his role so far, but there is, of course, a long way to go. That is obvious.

Listening to Senator Cassells was almost like listening to an episode of Off the Ball, given his line of questioning. The old journo in him was coming out again.

The Sportstar Awards were mentioned. In the previous session I said something similar. If you think of our biggest achievers in sports, you think of people such as Kellie Harrington or Emily Hegarty, an Olympic bronze medallist in rowing from my area of west Cork. Traditionally, however, Sonia O'Sullivan was probably one of our biggest ever superstars, and there is Katie Taylor, obviously. They are two names that roll off the tongue, but that is not then reflected in the media coverage. The most startling aspect of what we are hearing here today is the disgraceful amount of media coverage whereby women accounted for 4.2% of articles and 5.8% of images in 2019. Dr. May, Ms O'Connor and Ms Stapleton may not have this figure, but I would love to know how that compares with the UK or our European counterparts.

A point I continue to make, going back to the culture of sport here compared with that in Europe, is that there seems to be a greater emphasis on treating female sports stars in the exact same way, with the exact same amount of respect and coverage, as male sports stars in Europe - not just sports stars; I mean anyone participating in sports. I keep using the same examples of athletics, tennis and winter sports such as skiing. The reason I do so is that one thing that may or may not be a factor - the witnesses can correct me if I am wrong here - is that the major events in those sports are held on the same day. With major tennis championships, you get the same crowds in the same stadiums for events held over the same two weeks. It is the same with the athletics championships and world cups. I mentioned Emily Hegarty in the context of rowing, where there is more of an equilibrium. Those world cups are held on the same day. It is the same with skiing, cross-coutry skiing and the biathlon. I imagine - and I stand to be corrected - that female sports stars and female sports in general in Europe get far more coverage. Is that leading to this inequity and lack of coverage? Take rugby. There are some household names in rugby such as Niamh Briggs and Ms Stapleton, who is on the call, and in GAA such as Rena Buckley, but there is nowhere near the same level of recognition. Is it because in those sports I mentioned the major championships, finals and other events are, in general, held on different days? Although the crowds and the popularity of these sports are exploding, is that an aspect we are getting wrong in that when we look at the success in Europe it is not translated here in respect of our main sports such as rugby, GAA and camogie because they are held on different days? I would like a comment on that. If the witnesses do not have those figures for the European media coverage, they might come back to me on the matter.

Finally, I asked this second question of the Minister of State as well, but the witnesses may have more detail. To what extent is childcare an issue? It should not be this way but, unfortunately, we live in a society in which the lack of provision of childcare impacts women more than men. How much does the lack of childcare and the difficulty in accessing it contribute to women not staying in sport or participating in sport into adulthood, into their 30s, 40s, etc.?

The witnesses might come back to me on those questions, whoever feels it appropriate to answer them.