Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for his good wishes. I look forward to working with the committee and thank it for the opportunity to be here to address priorities in the time ahead. The Government is committed to supporting our sporting ecosystem so that more people can participate, reap the benefits of sport and fulfil their potential, from grassroots right up to high performance level. In this regard, the Government has invested well over €1 billion in sports infrastructure and development in the country since 2018. It is my aim to increase participation in sport and ensure accessibility of sport for all. In this regard, working with the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, we look forward to working to continue to improve the rate of active sport participation among adults, which is now 49%, the highest it has ever been. The participation gap between men and women is now thankfully below 3%. This is something we want to see more progress on in the time ahead. We will continue to invest in sport, including through the implementation of our national sports policy and action plan, which runs until 2027, by working with Sport Ireland in supporting its initiatives.

The national sports policy committed the Government to doubling funding in sport, compared with 2018 levels, to more than €220 million by 2027. This target has been reached two years ahead of schedule, with budget 2025 having allocated over €230 million for sport, which was a €21 million increase on the 2024 allocation. Earlier this year, we announced Sport Ireland's 2025 core funding allocations to our national governing bodies for sport, as well as local sports partnerships and other sporting bodies. The figure of €31 million in core funding allocated is an increase of €13.5 million compared with 2018 when our sports policy was published. This increased investment will continue to assist in ensuring the long-term sustainability of our sporting organisations and will enable the sector to continue to deliver increased opportunities for people to participate in a wide variety of sports.

Regarding high-performance sport, we have allocated €27 million across Sport Ireland's high-performance programmes for this year, including €4.5 million in direct support for athletes through the carding scheme. This is in line with the Government's target of delivering €30 million per annum for high-performance sport by 2027. This increased funding for high-performance sport reflects the programme for Government commitment to our high performance strategy, which runs until 2032 and which provides the over-arching policy framework for the development of our high-performance system for the next two Olympiads in Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032.

We announced investment of €4 million this year into Sport Ireland's women in sport programme, which funds projects and initiatives across a wide range of sports and supports the Government's vision where women have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential, while enjoying a lifelong involvement in sport. The women in sport funding programme has been in place since 2005, with over €30 million invested in that period to promote gender equality across sports. A total of €10 million has also been allocated to sport under the Dormant Accounts Fund for 2025. This funding will be released to successful applicants across two tranches during the second half of this year.

Despite recent progress, there is an enduring participation gap between those with and without disabilities. In line with the programme for Government, Sport Ireland recently appointed a disability in sport lead. The role has the potential to be transformational and the disability in sport lead will work with the national governing bodies, local sports partnerships and other sporting bodies to develop and promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in sport.

Regarding wider investment in sport, the Government has made available several forms of tax relief to promote investment in sport, most recently in the last Finance Act, including to allow for a transferable tax relief for donations to national governing bodies of sport for specific purposes, including investment in equipment and high-performance programmes. Major international sports events can play a key role in increasing sporting participation, encourage domestic and international tourism, and also promote Ireland as a destination for education and business opportunities. They present a good opportunity to showcase Ireland and our world-class tourism and sports offering to Europe and the world.

The Government continues to support the hosting of major sports events in Ireland and to explore further hosting opportunities. This is evidenced by the support being provided for events such as: the US college football classic; the UEFA Europa League final in Dublin last year; the first-ever American national football league regular season game at Croke Park in September this year; the Ryder Cup coming to Limerick in 2027; the cohosting of the UEFA Euro 2028 football championships with the UK; and as I mentioned, the proposed cohosting of the 2030 T20 Cricket World Cup with the UK.

The 2024 Government policy and strategy framework for the hosting of major international sporting events is the first of its kind in Ireland and fulfils a commitment under the previous programme for Government. The policy provides a framework as to how Government should support major international sporting events. It will be appreciated that bidding processes for major sports events can be very complex, and that confidential commercial information and non-disclosure agreements are key features of such processes.

Turning to postal policy, it is a priority for us that An Post harnesses the opportunities presented by ecommerce and the digital economy, and delivers a sustainable nationwide post office network by offering a range of services. The Government recognises the special role that An Post and the post office network play in our lives, providing invaluable support for some of the most vulnerable in our society through the provision of social welfare payments, free postage to care homes and many other valuable services. I also recognise that there are challenges for the network, including uncertainty over global trade, the continuing decline in mail volumes and growth of digitalisation.

The Government is committed to supporting Ireland’s post office network and we are currently providing An Post with €10 million per annum over a three-year fixed term to the end of this year. An Post disburses this funding across the post office network, with all contractor post offices benefiting from the Government funding with the objective of securing the stability of the network. Over €23 million has been claimed under this to date.

The current programme for Government also recognises the need to support Ireland’s post office network, committing to providing continued funding to aid its sustainability and enhance the value the network brings to local communities. My Department is working with Government colleagues to secure future funding in line with this commitment.

Is cúis mhór áthais dúinn deis a fháil labhairt leis an gcoiste inniu.