Ms Nora Stapleton:

I thank Deputy Andrews. It is good to see him again and I hope that his two girls are doing well. They are very good camogie players.

It is important to remember that the Women in Sport funding that goes to NGBs is not the only funding that is ring-fenced for these bodies. That is a particular programme which helps support additional programmes and initiatives as an add-on to what they are already currently doing in their sport. It probably comes back, however, to the culture within the sports themselves to ensure how that funding together with the overall pot of funding is used. This can be done either equitably or if there is an equal division there between the male and female sports participants the whole way up through whatever areas of the particular part of their game where it might be needed. That may be in coaching, in leadership or in participation programmes. It might be also worth adding in that sports sometimes lead and administer women’s sport without having a full understanding of what is needed to get the best from that sport.

It is really important to have a female presence at senior management level so there will be knowledge and an understanding of women’s sports in running sport in the national governing body or local sports partnerships. There are different needs and levels of understanding, and there are requests that may simply be different because male and female athletes and coaches are different. It is about respecting that difference, celebrating it where it should be celebrated and ensuring everybody in the sports community can be facilitated and supported in having life-long involvement in sport.