Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Acting Chair and all the Senators for their contributions and their support for the role of sport in Irish society. I also thank them for providing the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, and me with the opportunity to address the Seanad. I acknowledge the presence in the Visitors Gallery of Mary O’Connor from the Federation of Irish Sport and thank her for the work her organisation does representing many of our national governing bodies.

I want to touch on five key topics: funding, governance, safeguarding, facilities and major events. It is important to recognise, as all the Senators did, the massive role that sporting organisations and ordinary people play in making sport such an important part in all our lives. That is something the Government wants to support and something everyone in this House supports too. It is invaluable and plays a massive role in communities and people’s well-being and health. It only happens because people at local level give of their time and commitment to make it happen. That, combined with the commitment of the Government and the organisation and professionalism provided by many of our national sporting bodies, delivers what is an important service to people and one that can enhance their lives.

As a number of speakers said, we have seen that massively change and evolve over the last generation. I think we have only one person in the Oireachtas who is a post-millennium child so, as most of us will recognise, the facilities that most of the rest of us grew up with and experienced bear little resemblance to modern facilities. That is a tribute to the collective effort of everyone working together who has helped achieve that. What we have also seen over that time is a significant increase in participation and an increased appreciation of the importance of having sport and physical activity present in people’s lives. That, however, has put significant pressure on the need for facilities. Despite their much-improved facilities, there are very few sporting organisations that are not under pressure when it comes to space and capacity. That is something the Government is conscious of and supporting the further development of facilities is one of its key priorities.

The Government has stepped up to the mark by providing additional funding. Our national sports strategy, which was first delivered and published in 2018, committed to significantly increasing funding in sport over the life of the strategy, which runs until the end of 2027. That 80% increase has already been delivered. That funding is delivered mainly through Sport Ireland, which was established over 25 years ago, working closely with the national governing bodies, and also through the sports facilities fund and the large-scale sport infrastructure fund. Sport Ireland’s total funding is now up to €115 million, an increase of €54 million since 2018. Almost €270 million was allocated in the most recent round of the sports capital grant. This ensured that the applications of over 3,000 clubs for funding to develop their facilities were approved.

Senator Flaherty had a query about the next round of the community sports facility fund. We are looking at opening the fund to applications next spring and intend to have funding announcements by the end of next year. Generally, it is run in s two-year cycle.

We have had two rounds of the large scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF, in 2019 and 2024. We hope to run the third round in a shorter timeframe than was the case for the first two. In the meantime, we will closely monitor the delivery of those projects that have been funded. If we can find additional funds, we will look at how we can support other projects.

From a governance perspective, the establishment of Sport Ireland showed significant foresight and contributed significantly to the professionalisation of how sport is managed and delivered by our sporting bodies nationally. Our national governing bodies must now adopt Sport Ireland’s governance code for sport to avail of core funding. All of our national governing bodies are expected to demonstrate that they are fit for purpose and are compliant with key legal, governance, ethical, operational, risk management, taxation and fiduciary policies. That has been important in making sure that oversight is in place. It is ongoing work and we have seen a radical transformation in the governance of sport generally as a result of the approach that has been taken. Good governance should never be seen as an optional add-on or as a chore but rather as a vital part of a dynamic and enduring sports sector.

Likewise, safeguarding is massively important. In August of 2023, Sport Ireland launched a new national code of conduct template for sporting organisations. It sets out a set of guidelines and principles that promotes the behaviour and conduct we expect from our athletes, coaches, supporters, officials, club members and parents or guardians. All national governing bodies were asked to use the national code of conduct template as an important opportunity to review their existing policies and procedures for handling code breaches to ensure we have a safe and respectful environment for all involved in Irish sport.

The need for improved facilities was raised by a number of speakers. It will continue to be a key focus for the Government. We have asked Sport Ireland to work on identifying where the potential gaps are. Access to facilities can be patchy in different parts of the country and depending on the prevalence of different sports and access to them. We want to get a full picture of that so that it can inform how we target and direct future sports capital or community sports facilities funding rounds.

Senator Rabbitte spoke about the importance of access for people with disabilities. That needs to be intrinsic to what every sport does in order that they are accessible to all. It will continue to feature as a strong element in how we support clubs in their efforts to develop their facilities. We are also working with our national sporting bodies to make sure that disability access is core to their day-to-day work. Sport Ireland has appointed a new disability sport lead, Nora Stapleton, who is developing an approach for working with national governing bodies to ensure there is a key focus on accessibility for all.

Our Department is also involved in major events, which can enhance the offering of different sports and can be of significant economic, social and cultural benefit to the country, as well as from a political point of view as it can improve international relations. It can also be of real benefit in enhancing and encouraging further participation and excellence.Particularly through that and showcasing certain sports, there is the opportunity for participation, and indeed, to be able to avail of sports that we might not otherwise necessarily get the opportunity to see, such as the college classic game that will happen again this current summer, and an NFL game as well for the first time ever. Likewise, we have the Euro 2028 championship, which we will cohost with the UK, the cricket T20 championships, which we are also looking to cohost, and the Ryder Cup. We are always open and available to look at other opportunities. I join in the congratulations to Katie Taylor. It is great to see another fine and wonderful example of Irish sporting excellence.