Dr. Úna May:

On behalf of Sport Ireland, I thank the committee for the opportunity to appear today to discuss the important issue of safeguarding in Irish sport. We appreciate the committee's continued attention to the safety and welfare of those participating in sport. Sport Ireland is the non-regulatory statutory authority with responsibility for the development of sport in Ireland. Under the Sport Ireland Act 2015, we are tasked with developing and disseminating guidelines and codes of practice promoting best practice for the protection of children in sport. This responsibility is a central pillar of how we work with the sector, including the Football Association of Ireland and over 60 other funded sporting national governing bodies.

Sport should be a positive and enriching experience for everyone involved, and conducted in a safe supportive environment. Everyone, regardless of age, ability or background should be able to participate in sport free from harm, intimidation or abuse. I acknowledge the people who come forward to share their lived experiences and commend them on their bravery. Safeguarding is not a one-time obligation. It is a dynamic, ongoing commitment. To this end, Sport Ireland has developed comprehensive safeguarding guidance, templates and resources. These are disseminated across the sport sector and supported through a structured programme of education, support and compliance. This includes the national delivery of Sport Ireland child safeguarding workshops, refresher training, tutor development and our widely used Safe Sport app, which provides on-the-go information to coaches, parents, children and volunteers.

Sport Ireland requires organisations to declare their compliance with the Children First Act 2015 and the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 twice a year. These requirements are embedded in our funding conditions, with non-compliance resulting in suspension or withdrawal of financial support. While we do not have statutory investigative powers, our role is one of guidance and support. We work collaboratively with NGBs to ensure that systems are in place to prevent harm, manage risk and respond to child safety concerns.

In 2024, close to 40,000 participants engaged in over 3,000 safeguarding workshops delivered by local sports partnerships, LSPs, and national governing bodies, while an additional 11,174 individuals completed the online safeguarding 1 refresher course. Sport Ireland works collaboratively with relevant state agencies. We have regular engagement with Tusla to ensure that NGBs have up-to-date information regarding their legal obligations under the Children First Act 2015. Tusla's children first information and advice officers are involved in the delivery of training to Sport Ireland's safeguarding tutors. We also work closely with the Garda National Vetting Bureau to ensure that the sport sector is aware of its obligations under the national vetting bureau Acts. In 2024, we wrote to all 65 funded NGBs to reinforce their obligations and ensure their policies are up to date. Historically, the focus has been on the safeguarding of children as outlined in the Sport Ireland Act 2015. However, we recognise that safety for all people in sport is an important area. Hence, Safe Sport International has begun a needs analysis in the area of safe sport for adults, a growing area of focus globally. The outputs of the analysis will inform the approach to provision in this area by Sport Ireland, in line with our role as a development agency.

The FAI, like all funded NGBs, is an independent autonomous body. The FAI is recognised internationally by FIFA and UEFA as the national association for the game of football having ultimate responsibility for the governance, development and promotion of the game of football in Ireland. The FAI has declared compliance with all safeguarding legislation and has taken steps, such as engaging the Raiseaconcern service, to enable individuals to come forward in a safe and independent way. Sport Ireland acknowledges initiatives that NGBs adopt which promote transparency and accountability. Sport Ireland's oversight of the FAI is informed and structured around the Government's memorandum of understanding with the FAI. Members of the committee will be aware that the FAI remains on a journey of governance reform. Late last year, the Government agreed a new MOU with the FAI, reflecting progress made under the previous MOU in 2020. The agreement sets out commitments to ensure further progress and reform in key priority areas. The Government tasked Sport Ireland with monitoring the FAI's delivery of these commitments up to 2027.

Safeguarding is central to the integrity of sport. It underpins trust, participation and performance. We remain committed to strengthening this area, working with all partners, and ensuring that Irish sport continues to evolve as a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for everyone. I am joined by my colleague Ms McHugh, our director of integrity and ethics. We look forward to the committee's questions.