Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Keogan for raising this matter. Equality in sport is a key priority for both myself and the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. Our overall vision for women in sport is one where women have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential while enjoying a lifelong involvement in sport. A fundamental aim of the Government's National Sports Policy 2018-2027 is to increase the levels of participation in sport and physical activity across the population, with a specific focus on less-represented groups including women and girls. Much work is happening and good progress is being made not just in increasing active participation but also in the important areas of leadership and management roles in sport.

The Women in Sport funding programme is a very important support for sporting bodies in putting programmes in place to increase women's participation in their sports and to progress their strategic objectives for women in sport. The programme has been in place since 2005 and since then, over €20 million has been invested through the national governing bodies of sport and the local sports partnerships around the country. In 2018, funding under this sport programme was €600,000. Last year, Sport Ireland announced an investment of €4 million for the two years 2021 and 2022. This significant increase in funding ensures opportunities continue to be provided for women to participate in sport. I was pleased to secure increased funding for Sport Ireland in the budget for 2022, bringing its total current expenditure budget to over €96 million compared to €92 million last year. This will enable Sport Ireland to continue to support governing bodies and local sports partnerships in delivering programmes for all participants, male and female.

There is a growing momentum towards better integration of the three governing bodies involved in Gaelic games, namely, the GAA, Ladies Gaelic Football Association and the Camogie Association. The three organisations are working on a pathway to amalgamation. I am very supportive of such moves, which reflect much of what is already happening at club level and would further ensure parity of treatment for female players within the Gaelic games family. One of my priorities last year was to eliminate the funding gap that existed in grant funding for male and female Gaelic players. I am very pleased to have achieved that aim and to have ensured that we have now parity in that grant funding. Additional funding has been provided for enhanced support of female intercounty Gaelic players on an equivalent basis to that being provided for their male counterparts, thus bringing the total amount available for female players in this context to €2.4 million.

The aim in the National Sports Policy 2018-2027 is to eliminate the gender participation gap in sport entirely by 2027. The 2019 Irish Sports Monitor report showed that the gender gap in sports participation was 3.4%, which is narrower than at any point over the past ten years. While the Irish Sports Monitor report for the first quarter of 2021 showed the gender gap was eliminated during the Covid-19 restrictions, the latest Irish Sports Monitor figures for quarter 3 show a gender gap beginning to re-emerge as restrictions were lifted. In quarter 3, male sports participation had returned to pre-pandemic levels at 48%, while female sports participation was at 38%, which is 7% behind the level measured in 2019. The emerging gradient is a cause for focus and ongoing monitoring. To this end, many national governing bodies are delivering women in sport and programmes funded by the Dormant Accounts Fund this winter. These actively target populations that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic including females, economically and socially disadvantaged communities, people with a disability and ethnic minorities.

Addressing women's participation at all levels in sport is an important element of the national sports policy. That includes women in leadership positions such as governing bodies. The national sports policy set a target of 30% gender representation on boards by the end of 2023, which we have increased in our action plan for sport to 40%. It is a particular priority for me to enable women to take more leadership positions in sport and the 40% reflects this prioritisation. I will conclude my statement when I come back in.