Dr. Una May:

I thank the committee for the invitation to attend this meeting to discuss the 2021 financial statements for Sport Ireland and Sport Ireland Facilities DAC. I am joined today by other representatives of Sport Ireland: John Foley, the newly appointed chairperson at Sport Ireland; Jason McLoughlin, director of finance and corporate services at Sport Ireland; Colm McGinty, director of governance, risk, compliance and strategy at Sport Ireland; and Michael Murray, chief operating officer at Sport Ireland Facilities DAC. To assist the discussion today and in line with the letter of invitation, we have submitted some briefing material to the committee. I am grateful for the opportunity to make this opening statement in addition to that material, although I will probably cover some of the ground that has already been covered.

Sport Ireland is the statutory authority tasked with the development of sport in Ireland. Established under the Sport Ireland Act 2015, we are tasked with increasing participation in sport, supporting Ireland’s high-performance athletes, operating Ireland’s anti-doping programme, delivering coaching training and developing the Sport Ireland Campus, among plenty of other functions and areas in our remit.

Sport Ireland is funded by the Government through its parent Department, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media, and we have an oversight agreement in place with this Department. We support the delivery of the Government's national sports policy, which recognises the influence and importance of sport across society.

Ireland has experienced remarkable sporting success in recent times. Despite being ranked 125th in the world in population, the country has consistently achieved impressive results across a diverse range of sports. In 2022, alongside an exciting year for the GAA, Ireland was number one in the world rugby rankings, achieved the first world championship gymnastics medal and qualified for the women’s soccer world cup. The year also saw our highest-ever recorded medal achievement by Sport Ireland-funded programmes at major international events. More than 100 major medals were won by Irish athletes across a wide range of sports.

Irish sport is thriving and reaching new levels of success. However, it is important to acknowledge that, both domestically and globally, sports are experiencing a time of significant change.

During 2020 and 2021, Covid-19 restrictions led to large-scale decreases in sporting activity across the country. National and international competitions, alongside participation opportunities, were severely hampered. In response to this, Sport Ireland and the Government provided targeted Covid-19 resilience and recovery funds. This investment addressed the immediate financial and operational needs of the sector. I am immensely proud of Sport Ireland's response to the Covid-19 crisis. All of our staff responded remarkably to the new and additional requirements placed upon them during an exceptionally difficult period. This additional effort, agility and flexibility can be seen in the many examples of quality initiatives and proactive support delivered by Sport Ireland to the Irish sports sector and the wider Irish public during this time.

Internationally, the achievement of major medals occurs in a global arena; it is dependent on stability in these environments to provide Irish athletes with an opportunity to compete. Sport Ireland monitors closely actions by various international sporting federations which have a direct impact on Irish athletes and the medal targets outlined in our strategy.

As we enter our next five-year strategic cycle, Sport Ireland will focus on ensuring that Ireland is an active nation where people are encouraged to participate, progress and achieve in sport. We have a strong body of research to illustrate the benefits of sport and physical activity to Ireland's society and economy. We believe this importance will continue to grow.

In the coming years, there will be a significant increase in the number of teenagers and older individuals in Ireland. As a result, it will be crucial to address the specific needs and demands that arise from this demographic shift.

Sport Ireland will work to achieve the increased participation and engagement targets as set out in the national sports policy. According to our latest unpublished research, which was conducted by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of Sport Ireland, participation in sport increased in 2022 with 43% of the population participating regularly in sport, a three-percentage point increase since 2021.

Sport Ireland seeks to widen participation through the delivery of our women in sport policy, our diversity and inclusion policy, our policy on participation in sport by people with disabilities and numerous other policies we have targeting specific areas. It is vital that Sport Ireland works collectively to support the development of national governing bodies, NGBs, local sports partnerships and other partner bodies so that the wider sport system continues to grow and thrive.

There has been much public and media discourse on the topics of governance and regulation in Irish sports. The NGBs are in a dynamic phase with many transitioning to a professional setup. Change is difficult and can lead to periodic challenges. Sport Ireland is not a regulatory body. As a development agency, we have an acknowledged sectoral leadership role in this area and work on the promotion and incentivisation of good governance practices, including the adoption of the Governance Code for Sport.

The development and management of the Sport Ireland Campus is another key role for Sport Ireland. In November 2022, we launched our campus master plan vision, which outlines the direction of our campus's future development over the next 15 to 20 years. I am happy to report that progress is under way, with planning permission secured for the national velodrome and badminton centre earlier this year and plans being advanced for athlete accommodation and the development of a permanent home for Irish cricket. Individual building and infrastructure projects will be delivered in a series of phases over the next five years and beyond. I look forward to engaging with Government on the delivery of capital funding on a multi-annual basis to enable the delivery of major capital projects on the campus and to further realise the vision of an inspirational location for Irish sport. I am also acutely aware of the need for a sustainable campus that delivers on sustainable development goals, responsibilities and climate action targets.

We passionately believe in a strong sport sector that can provide opportunities for everyone to enjoy sport and physical activity. This work is key to supporting Ireland's changing population. We are a very small team with a big remit and ambitious targets. Sport Ireland will need to grow our staffing and capacity to embrace the next stage of our development and deliver the expected services to the sports sector and the Irish public.

I thank the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and our colleagues in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media for their ongoing support, particularly in the context of the actions assigned to Sport Ireland under the national sports policy.

I acknowledge the strategic leadership provided by the board members of Sport Ireland, particularly for their support in developing a new statement of strategy for the organisation which will be published shortly. Finally, and crucially, I pay tribute to the staff of Sport Ireland for their ongoing commitment and dedication.

I welcome this discussion with the committee, and I am happy to answer any questions.