Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a ardú. Ba mhaith liom a dheimhniú leis an Teach go dtuigim go rímhaith an tábhacht a bhaineann le breis maoinithe agus tacaíochta a chur ar fáil don spórt agus do na heagraíochtaí spóirt a thugann deis do dhaoine páirt a ghlacadh ag an leibhéal neamhphroifisiúnta, ina measc daoine atá faoi mhíchumas. Tá méadú ar an leibhéal rannpháirtíochta mar chroílár ár bpolasaí náisiúnta spóirt, agus é mar chuspóir againn go mbeidh 60% de dhaoine fásta na tíre ag glacadh páirte i spórt faoi 2027. Chun an aidhm seo a bhaint amach, tá mé tiomanta chun tacú leis na heagrais náisiúnta rialaithe don spórt, agus leis na comhpháirtíochta áitiúil spóirt, chun a chinntiú go mbeidh neart deiseanna ag gach duine a bhfuil suim acu páirt a ghlacadh sa spórt.

We are on track to achieve our ambition of doubling the State's investment in sport to €220 million by 2027. This year, we will be investing €175 million. Five years ago, the corresponding figure was €110 million. As the Senator has alluded to, there have been significant increases in sports funding. In February, Sport Ireland announced an investment of €26 million in core grant funding for national governing bodies and local sports partnerships for this year. This significant investment is key to supporting the delivery of sport throughout the country. There is €16 million being invested in national governing bodies, NGBs, this year, up from €15 million last year. This will help NGBs to develop and expand their participation programmes so that increasing numbers of people can enjoy the benefits of sport.

Disability-focused NGBs play a strong role in working with the broader sports sector to increase opportunities for people with disabilities to be more active. Funding for Irish wheelchair sport, Vision Sports Ireland, Deaf Sports Ireland and Special Olympics Ireland have all increased this year compared to 2022. The network of 29 local sports partnerships around the country also plays a crucial role in promoting and increasing participation in sport and physical activity at local level and in engaging groups that are under-represented in sporting activity. There is €10 million being allocated to the local sports partnerships this year.

Sport Ireland is continuing its support for the network of 29 sport inclusion disability officers around the country again this year. There is €910,000 being invested in the network to assist with the work being done to encourage and facilitate more people with disabilities to participate in sport and physical activity. The disability officers are also playing an important role in helping people with a disability to re-engage with sport and physical activity after Covid-19. We are committed to a sport-for-all approach aimed at ensuring all persons have the opportunity to partake equally in sport and physical activity, regardless of age, socioeconomic status, disability or membership of the LGBTI+ community, the Traveller community or other ethnic minorities. State funding programmes for people with a disability and those experiencing disadvantage have more than doubled in recent years under funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund.

With regard to capital funding, the Government has also been steadfast in its support for non-professional sports of all codes, including para-sports. Is é an clár caipitil agus trealaimh spóirt an príomh-mhodh tacaíochta Rialtais maidir le háiseanna spóirt agus áineasa a fhorbairt agus maidir le trealamh spóirt neamhphearsanta a cheannach ar fud na tíre. Tá leas bainte ag breis is 13,000 tionscadal as an maoiniú caipitil ó 1998, agus is ionann leithdháiltí iomlán i gcaitheamh na tréimhse sin agus €1.1 billiún.

Anuraidh, fógraíodh pacáiste de €166.6 milliún i ndeontais nua chaipitil faoin mbabhta is déanaí den chlár caipitil agus trealaimh spóirt. Ba é seo an leibhéal is mó maoinithe a fógraíodh riamh faoin scéim. Tá sé geallta i gclár an Rialtais go leanfar ag tacú leis an clár caipitil agus trealaimh spóirt agus tá mé tiomanta chun leanúint leis an méadú suntasach infheistíochta san earnáil seo sna blianta amach romhainn.

The Senator raised a number of unspecified issues that certain sports may not be giving proper support to athletes with a disability. I would certainly be willing to hear from the Senator after this debate about that matter, and from national governing bodies. I certainly will not tolerate that. I can assure the Senator it is not an issue of funding. The funding is there. We are increasing the funding every year but if there are particular governing bodies that are not treating para-sports equally or taking inclusion seriously, I certainly want to hear about it and will take whatever action is necessary.