Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am more of a hurling man myself. I call on the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to develop a strategy to increase funding for, recognition of and participation in female sport. It is a very important issue that we as a community, society and Government need to work on. There are a myriad of problems in female sport at the moment. One of the key issues is the very high dropout rate. The participation rates for teens are fine, but the fall-off rate for females in their 20s and 30s is high and that must be examined. We have a small percentage of female coaches and administration staff. That is a core issue we need to look at in order that we can build the dynamic of female sport in Ireland. The knock-on effect of that is that we have tiny audiences watching female sports and we do not have the same quality of sponsorship as that available to the male equivalents. Those keys issues have a major knock-on effect on access and equality of opportunity for women to participate in female sports. We should have a proactive strategy put in place to ensure women have the opportunity to compete at the highest possible level if they so wish. More importantly, we must ensure access to opportunity at every level, and the development of a national strategy is a key issue in that regard. Such a national strategy must identify existing barriers. Government must work with all stakeholders to ensure those barriers can be lifted. Key issues such as funding, participation and the recognition of females in sport in Ireland need to be addressed. These are important issues for the dynamic of society.

We have seen what has been done in other jurisdictions to promote female sports. The UK had a dedicated female sports week based on the theme of more women, more activities. This is one of the issues the Government must take on board in order that a proactive plan is put in place to ensure we can break down existing barriers. Funding is a key issue. Funding of amenities and access must be prioritised for female sports.Whether it is for the basic infrastructure or administration and coaching, funding is important to ensure the basic infrastructure is there in order that women who want to participate have the opportunity to so do. Recognition is important. We need to build on our sporting ambassadors. We have all seen male sporting ambassadors, whether on the Lions tour or a local GAA team. We need to recognise our female sporting ambassadors and need to ensure they are recognised. They need to be the role models for the next generation. It has to be an active part of this strategy. We must recognise our sporting ambassadors in order that we can promote our sports on the back of them. Participation is key as we need to ensure participation levels in female sports in Ireland increase and for that to happen, we need a national strategy. It will involve getting all of the stakeholders together and coming together with an overall plan in order that we can actually deliver this on the ground. It has happened in other jurisdictions. I am sure the Minister of State has a great grasp of the sporting psyche. I hope he can use his initiative on the ground to enable the promotion of female sports in Ireland and the achievement of what is very achievable. In the future, it will benefit both female sports and society.