Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Some in the football world have confused this matter but, to be clear, the requirement for 40% gender balance on the board applies to every national governing body. We have been putting pressure on those which have not achieved this yet to do so. This has been Government policy since 2018. It is a condition of funding and I have said that this year is the time to make it a reality. The FAI is one of a small number of organisations that have not yet achieved this. I commend the Irish Athletic Boxing Association, which voted unanimously to meet this condition last Saturday week. The GAA has changed its constitution to allow it to happen. It has not quite happened yet but it has taken that very important step. It is the same with the IRFU. It has a plan to meet this condition and we look forward to its implementation very soon. However, if organisations do not meet this condition, there will be a 50% cut in all funding from January. That applies to every single sport. It is not sport-specific and has nothing to do with the memorandum of understanding, MOU, with the FAI, although it is mentioned within it. It is really related to every sport. Essentially, bodies will only get 50% of what they would be entitled to in current funding if the national body does not have 40% gender balance on the board. Under the round of sports capital funding I launched this year - I cannot backdate the measure - clubs will only be able to draw down 50% of what they are awarded.