Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. The €4 million fund is extremely important. It is research-focused and targeted at trying to bridge the participation gap. That is one element of what we have sought to do regarding women in sport. When it comes to high-performance sport, we have provided substantial funding streams. From that perspective, it is easier to avail of the new sports capital and equipment programme. We have provided specific reference in the assessment process to those targeting female participation. There is a multiplicity of interventions. The €4 million fund focuses on participation. The Dormant Accounts Fund focuses on all of the participation gaps. Female participation is one. Those with disabilities and minorities are other examples.

Sport Ireland has taken strong actions. We have a lead for Women in Sport. We have sought to strengthen the funding support for the programme and to ensure that, at a governance and leadership level, sporting organisations are reflective of their grassroots. The Deputy knows from his sporting background that if one goes to any local club in any community, there is phenomenal growth of female participation at a grassroots level. It is often 50:50. There is attrition, which I know Sport Ireland is focused on, especially in teenage years, that can create a gender gap in participation. Many of the initiatives we have in the Women in Sport programme are focused on areas where there is attrition or where there is not the same level of participation. All of our policy and funding streams focus on supporting female participation in sport.