Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 15 June 2023

Public Accounts Committee

Financial Statements 2021 - Sport Ireland and Sport Ireland Facilities DAC

9:30 am

Dr. Una May:

I thank Deputy Munster for that question, because it gives me the opportunity to explain to everybody in the room, and anybody else who is listening, that this is factually incorrect. We have asked the FAI to follow up and provide us with some information as to how that information made it into the public domain. We have not rejected the application. It is under review in the context of a significant number of other initiatives that the FAI is seeking around women in sport. We are working very closely with our colleagues in the Department around a potential increase in funding for women in sport. We have already earmarked a certain amount of funding around women in sport, with specific attention to the FAI. We have a significant number of different asks from the FAI, which has resulted in us having to take some time to consider the full range of asks. It has approached the Department with some requests. It approached us with certain requests. It is open, and has applied for other programmes around the Women in Sport funding initiatives.