Mr. Jimmy D'Arcy:

I thank the committee for the invitation to speak on behalf of the GAA. It is a privilege to contribute to this important discussion on participation in community life for persons with disabilities. My name is Jimmy D'Arcy and I am community and health manager. I am joined by Ms. Louise Keane, GAA national equity, diversity and inclusion officer.

At its core, the GAA is a community organisation. Every one of our clubs is embedded in local life providing a social hub, a sense of belonging and a platform for well-being. Whether through sport, cultural activity or volunteerism, our purpose remains the same, namely to strengthen communities and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to belong.

This commitment is captured in our manifesto, Where We All Belong, and our ongoing work to make Gaelic games accessible to all, regardless of background, age, gender, ability or any other characteristic or circumstance.

One of the GAA’s most significant developments in recent years has been the growth of our GAA for All initiatives. GAA for All is the umbrella term under which our games-based inclusion programmes fall. These programmes create opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate fully in Gaelic games, whether through playing, coaching, volunteering or simply being part of their club community. A cornerstone of this work is our all-stars programme, which provides adapted, fun versions of Gaelic games for children and adults with disabilities. What began as a grassroots effort by parents has now grown into a national movement, with over 150 clubs having actively participated in the programme.

In parallel, wheelchair hurling and camogie remain our principal competitive inclusive codes, with teams representing all provinces in the annual M Donnelly all-Ireland series as well as representing Ireland internationally in the upcoming international para floorball tournament in the Netherlands later this week.

The M Donnelly GAA football for all programme, delivered in partnership with the Irish Special Schools Sports Council also supports inclusive participation for young people with mild to moderate learning difficulties to experience Gaelic games. Training and blitz days are organised regionally, culminating in an activity day of games in Croke Park each year for approximately 150-200 pupils from this network.

GAA Cúl Camps remain one of the largest child sport promotion activities, with well over 100,000 children between the ages of six and 13 years participating annually. To make Cúl Camps as inclusive as possible, parents and guardians are asked to note whether their child requires any additional supports. As a result, many of our camps now facilitate involvement by participants with additional needs. More recently we have developed stand-alone inclusive Cúl Camps. These camps are designed to remove barriers, ensuring every child can experience the benefits of sport and community engagement.

Despite significant progress, we recognise that barriers remain, particularly for people with disabilities and other seldom heard groups. A recurring challenge is that some individuals and communities may feel uncertain or hesitant about engaging, particularly if they have not previously seen themselves represented in GAA spaces. Our clubs are run entirely by volunteers and, although their commitment is extraordinary, they need support, training, and resources to make inclusion sustainable. To help address this, the GAA, alongside our sister organisations, has run a disability inclusion programme scheme to the value of €70,000 in 2025, with the support of dormant accounts funding. This has supported clubs to provide opportunities for persons within their communities to engage in Gaelic games.

At national level, we have launched an accessibility audit pilot across county grounds in partnership with Age-Friendly Ireland. This is aimed at helping to identify gaps and plan improvements to physical infrastructure. A collaborative research effort evaluating the all-stars programme by Ulster University and the sport industry research centre has led to the development of a new all-stars programme coaching award. This qualification will guide volunteers through every stage of establishing and sustaining an inclusive all-stars programme. Our Irish Life GAA healthy club programme, now involving around one third of GAA clubs, provides a powerful framework for promoting inclusion, health and well-being in local communities. Many of the clubs delivering all-stars and other inclusive programmes began their inclusion journey through the healthy club programme initiative.

The GAA will imminently launch its green club climate inclusion toolkit, designed to support clubs in engaging hard-to-reach groups through responses to climate change and developing community resilience. The toolkit provides practical guidance for breaking down barriers and ensuring that all members can contribute to the development and implementation of local sustainability and club strategies.

Looking forward, the GAA is currently developing a national equity, diversity and inclusion strategy which will set a clear roadmap for embedding inclusion, including disability inclusion, across all areas of the association. A central goal of the strategy is to embed equity, diversity and inclusion as a responsibility shared by everyone across the organisation. Education is a key pillar of that work. This year we are developing two new e-learning courses on inclusion and respectful participation, one designed for all members and volunteers, and another specifically for players who have breached inclusion-related rules. Alongside this, our new All Stars coaching resource and certificate will ensure that every club can access consistent, quality training to confidently deliver inclusive activities for persons with disabilities.

Beyond the playing field, the GAA continues to play a vital role in promoting health, social inclusion and well-being. Programmes such as Ireland lights up have brought tens of thousands of people of all ages and abilities together for safe and inclusive community walks. Croke Park’s designation as an age-friendly stadium by the World Health Organization, WHO, and Age-Friendly Ireland demonstrates our commitment to accessibility and universal design, and this learning is now informing our broader facilities planning.

The GAA is proud of the progress we have made, but we also acknowledge the scale of the work still to do. We are determined to make our clubs, our games and our communities truly accessible to all, not as a side project but as a central expression of who we are. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with government and our partners across the sporting sector to remove barriers, share learning and strengthen the participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of community life.