Seanad debates
Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Sport: Statements
2:00 am
Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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It is fitting and appropriate that we welcome the CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport, Mary O’Connor, from Cork, famed for her camogie and footballing prowess, and 12 all-Ireland medals, both codes and dual all-stars as well. I thank her for being here as a guest of Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn. Also here, as interns just completing their internships with Senators Cathal Byrne and Gareth Scahill, are Camelia Hatimi and Shabeena Jehan. They are both welcome to Seanad Éireann. I thank them for all the work they did for the lads. I am sure they greatly appreciate it. We hope they enjoyed their time in Seanad Éireann.
Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach, leis na Seanadóirí agus leis an Seanad as ucht an deis cúpla focal a rá maidir le cúrsaí spóirt in Éirinn faoi láthair. The Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, and I are glad to be in the Seanad for statements on sport, a sector we believe is a vital part of our society, both locally and nationally. The Minister of State will be here in a while
The Government is committed to supporting our sporting ecosystem so more people can participate, reap the benefits of sport and fulfil their potentials from grassroots right up to high-performance levels. In this regard, the Government has invested well over €1 billion in sports infrastructure and development in Ireland since 2018. The return on investment in terms of community participation, inclusion, integration and physical and mental well-bring is, I think we can all agree, very positive.
I previously highlighted to the Oireachtas committee that the rate of active sports participation among adults is now 49% - the highest it has ever been - and the participation gap between men and women is now just below 3% - the smallest gap on record. This is due in no small way to the substantial Government investment in sport over the past number of years. We will continue to invest in sport, including through the implementation of our national sports policy and the action plan, which runs up to 2027, by working with Sport Ireland in supporting its initiatives.
The national sports policy committed the Government to doubling the amount of funding in sport to more than €220 million by 2027 compared with 2018 levels. This target has been reached two years ahead of schedule, with funding now of more than €230 million provided for sport in the Estimate, an increase of €21 million from the 2024 allocation of €209 million.
Earlier this year, we announced Sport Ireland’s 2025 core funding allocation to our national governing bodies, NGBs, of sports, local sports partnerships and other funded bodies. The figure of €31 million in core funding allocated is an increase of €13.5 million, or 76%, compared with 2018, when our first ever national sports policy was published. This increased investment will assist in ensuring the long-term sustainability of our sporting organisations and will enable the sector to continue to deliver increased opportunities for people to participate in a wide variety of sports. I should have said at the outset that this is my second time in a version of this Department. When I was last here as Minister of State for tourism and sport, the moneys we had available at that stage bear no resemblance, quite frankly, the moneys available now.
Regarding high performance, we have allocated €27 million across Sport Ireland’s high-performance programmes for 2025, including €4.5 million in direct support for athletes through the carding scheme. This is in line with the Government’s target of delivering €30 million per annum for high-performance sport by 2027 as we look forward to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This increased funding for high performance reflects the programme for Government commitment to our High Performance Strategy 2021-2032, which provides the overarching policy framework for the development of our high-performance system for the next two olympiads, in Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032.
We have also announced investment of €4 million this year to support Sport Ireland’s Women in Sport programme, which funds projects and initiatives across a wide range of sports and supports the Government’s vision where women have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential while enjoying a lifelong involvement in sport. The Women in Sport funding programme is in place since 2005 and, over the past two decades, more than €30 million has been invested through the NGBs and local sports partnerships in promoting gender equality in sport. Gender equality is something close to my heart and I am encouraged by the drive for increased inclusiveness and female participation across the sports sector. In this regard, the integration of the Gaelic games national governing bodies is something I support and will be keeping an eye on. To that regard, when I was last Minister of State in this Department, we attempted, unsuccessfully, to bridge the gap of women's representation on national governing bodies. I wanted to introduce a quota, which was unceremoniously dismissed by the then Minister, but I am glad that my successors in the Department, Deputies Jack Chambers and Thomas Byrne, have made significant progress in this area, and we will continue with that as well.
Some €10 million has also been allocated to sport under the Dormant Accounts Fund for 2025. This funding will be released to successful applicants across two tranches during the second half of the year.
Despite recent progress, there is an enduring participation gap between those with and without disabilities. In line with the programme for Government, Sport Ireland recently appointed a disability in sport lead. The role has the potential to be transformational. The disability in sport lead will work with national governing bodies,the sports partnerships and others to develop and promote the inclusion of people with disability in sport.We will shortly begin preparations for our next national sports policy, covering 2028 to 2037, and Government is committed to continuing the strategic ambition showcased in the current policy. The Government, the Minister of State and I will engage with the committee and individual Oireachtas Members on what they would like to see. I encourage Members to engage in that process.
In this regard, we must be as concerned with improving governance in sport as we are with the investment and development of it. Sport should be inclusive, fair and safe and I am committed to working with Sport Ireland and partners across the sector to deliver this vision. Regarding capital investment, the Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the community sports facilities fund, CSFF, and the large-scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF. I do not have to inform any of the Members about them because of their success. Over €250 million was allocated to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 from the 2023 round of the CSFF, representing the largest-ever investment in sport in communities all over Ireland. In addition, in 2024, the second round of LSSIF received an unprecedented demand for funding. On 4 November 2024, grants totalling €173 million were awarded to 35 projects.
We are committed to ensuring continued and sustained investment in sports facilities to meet our ambitious goals for sports participation nationwide and to ensure a lasting legacy. On a practical level, we need to build upon our successful capital investment by focusing on municipal and multi-use facilities that cater for a wide variety of sports and community uses. The sharing of facilities makes sense not just for the communities, but also, more importantly, for the taxpayer.
In terms of wider investment in sport, the Government has made available several forms of tax relief to promote investment in sport, most recently in the latest Finance Act, such as a transferable tax relief for donations to the NGBs for specific purposes, including investment in equipment and high-performance activities. Major international sporting events can play a key role in increasing sports participation, encouraging domestic and international tourism and also promoting Ireland as a place for education and business opportunities. They present a wonderful opportunity to showcase Ireland and our world-class tourism and sports offering, not only to Europe but to the world.
Earlier this year, the Tánaiste and I, together with the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, and the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, launched Ireland’s first-ever international sports diplomacy framework. The framework sets out a vision for Ireland’s approach to international sports diplomacy and recognises the unique power of sport to bring different nations and cultures together and to build connections around the world. Major sports events offer unique opportunities to forge new ties and strengthen relationships and are ideal for the development of a partnership and promoting Ireland. This is very much demonstrated by the powerful bonds created by, for example, by the annual college classic game, which is, as per its slogan, much more than a game. It fosters widespread connections in business, education and culture.
Similar relationships are being developed through the hosting of other events and that is among the reasons the Government continues to support the hosting of major sports events in Ireland and to explore further hosting opportunities. These include the US college football classic series, which has been running since 2022, with this year's edition featuring Kansas State and Iowa State universities. It is being called "Farmageddon". There was also the UEFA Europa League final in Dublin last year, while the first-ever National Football League, NFL, regular season game will be at Croke Park in September this year, when the Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Minnesota Vikings. Some people in the media, and, in fact, some Oireachtas Members, said this was a terrible waste of money. Some 600,000 people went into the waiting room to try to get tickets for it, so I do not think it is a terrible waste of money at all. Parochially and locally to me, then, of course, there will be the Ryder Cup in 2027 in Adare in my constituency, for which preparations are advancing well with the establishment of a government steering group chaired by the Irish ambassador to the United Kingdom, Martin Fraser, and the appointment of a project director, former Wexford County Council CEO and former director of services with Limerick City and County Council, Tom Enright, to oversee the delivery of the event. Additionally, there was the cohosting of the UEFA Euro 2028 football championship with the UK, and there will be the co-hosting of the 2030 T20 Cricket World Cup, also with the UK.
The 2024 Government policy and strategy framework for the hosting of major international sporting events is the first of its kind in Ireland and fulfils a commitment under the previous programme for Government. The policy provides a framework for how Government should support major international sporting events, the benefits it should seek to derive from such events, the supports it could offer and the kind of events we should prioritise. This framework and its further development will guide future bid activity and ensure Ireland remains competitive in this field. We all must appreciate that bidding processes for major sports events can be complicated and that confidential commercial information and non-disclosure agreements are key features of such processes. I am sure Members will understand the rationale for that. Additionally, such bidding processes will typically feature other potential interested parties so, for the reasons I outlined, I am not able to specify what events my Department is currently engaged in without considering future engagement. Suffice it to say, there are a number. However, I can confirm that any engagements by the Department in this regard are guided by the key determining factors as set out in the new policy. This includes an assessment of the economic, sporting and social impact of the events in question.
Sport is a key part of our society and something we can be very proud of, and, as can be seen from the scale and breadth of the investment and initiatives I outlined, is an integral part of the Government’s commitment to delivery for the people of Ireland. I look forward to hearing what the Senators have to say with regard to this very important topic. Go raibh maith agaibh.
Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht bheith anseo. Tá fhios agam go mbeidh an t-Aire, an Teachta McConalogue anseo níos déanaí.
Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I am sorry Senator Ní Chuilinn, but I forgot to mention and welcome the Grangecon group here today who are guests of Deputy Edward Timmins. I understand the population of Grangecon is about 200 people, so I would say this is about 10% of the population. I thank them for coming to Seanad Éireann today.
Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael)
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Tá sé sin go breá. Tá fáilte rompu ar fad. Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh Mary O’Connor chomh maith, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport. Sport in Ireland goes to the very essence of who we are as a nation. We define ourselves in tribal terms, whether this is by club, by county or by province. We punch above our weight as well and find creative ways to make a bigger impact globally than the small but mighty population of 5 million that we are. Sport, though, means different things to different people, and I hope during the debate we give voice to the many ways and means in which sport exists, or ought to exist, in this country. Sport is a hobby but also an industry. It is a distraction, a religion, a cure, but also a curse. Sport is a family and it is also a feud. Sport is competitive and sport is fun. Sometimes, sport is not sport at all, just a social outlet.
The sport industry is worth €3.7 billion to the Exchequer annually. It employs more than 64,000 people and the volunteer network in sport is worth more than €1.5 million. According to the Federation of Irish Sport, the sector has grown faster than any other part of the Irish economy over the past ten years. Outside of that sits the horse sport sector, which is a key cornerstone of hundreds of rural communities across the island. That industry supports 47,000 jobs and is worth €1 billion annually.
The Minister mentioned sport tourism in Ireland and that has grown exponentially in the past decade. The 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic was worth €180 million to the economy and attracted more than 39,000 US visitors to Ireland. In the same month, Dublin hosted the Europa League final for the first time in over a decade. The match was estimated to have generated €15 million and attracted thousands of German and Italian tourists to Ireland. The Ryder Cup, last hosted in Ireland at the K Club in 2006, was worth €143 million and, as the Minister said, there are our hopes that the 2027 revenue will vastly exceed that figure. However, current and future sports stars should reap the rewards of the commercial side of the sport industry into future.
A landmark shift in the landscape of Irish sport will take place over the next couple of years. It is, of course, GAA integration, which was mentioned by the Minister. There are very few opportunities to reinvent the wheel when it comes to governance and culture, but this is a very exciting opportunity for all Gaels as the Camogie Association, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and the Gaelic Athletic Association prepare to amalgamate. All three organisations voted in favour of integration at their respective congresses in 2022, three years ago. When it comes to pass, and it will, integration will further strengthen the Gaelic games family. Even though I know it is not technically within the remit of the Minister, it is vitally important that we keep abreast of developments and progress in relation to the new GAA and how the various governance structures, like ardchomhairlí, provincial councils and county boards prepare for a new dawn. Access to pitches and training facilities will need to be available to male and female players on an equal footing, not unlike the requirements for any new capital projects funded by public money. Juvenile players, referees, club volunteers and senior intercounty elites alike will all need to feel like they have a voice in the new GAA. I have no doubt that the steering group led by former President Mary McAleese is laying the groundwork for that.
Last night, at the Oireachtas Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport, the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, said the Government is fully supportive of integration, which is encouraging, and that he expects a funding request will come from the GAA. I know the Department will insist on all the usual funding constraints, such as gender balance on boards. Currently, the GAA has a 20% balance on the management committee, which falls far short of the 40% insisted upon by the State through Sport Ireland. At the announcement of the €31 million in core funding last February, the Minister and representatives of the Department spoke about intentions to prioritise diversity in sport over the coming years. This agenda is certainly to be welcomed.The Women in Sport movement over the last two decades has seen progress in relation to equality of opportunity and awareness but the work is not done yet. The dedicated annual Women in Sport funding is crucial to ensure that our female athletes, both present and future, feel supported and celebrated. There is a way to go yet in terms of attitudes and cultures in some quarters. We need to continue to innovate and work with our governing bodies to deliver initiatives for women in disadvantaged communities, for older women, for teenage girls, for those with a disability, and for those from ethnic minorities so that the feeling of inclusivity is widespread and not simply based on gender alone. Huge strides have been taken in gender balance on boards, as the original target of 40% nationally has been surpassed in the vast majority of cases. I would add one further dimension to board composition, which is to ensure that those sports with a high performance arm have an athlete representative on their board, and possibly even one of each gender, to ensure the nuances of both disciplines and the concerns of athletes are represented in decision-making rooms.
We pride ourselves as a nation of inclusivity and nowhere should this be more to the fore than in how we develop policy and treat our transgender and non-binary athletes or those wishing to take part in sport. Sport Ireland is encouraging all national governing bodies to develop a policy for trans and non-binary sports if they do not already have one. Their ambition is to make sport as inclusive as possible so that everybody can reap the many benefits that participation in sport brings. I spoke with a person recently who does not feel welcome in the sport that they love. I would encourage all stakeholders and governing bodies to develop an inclusive policy as encouraged by Sport Ireland.
Some of our greatest sports stars make their name globally in disability or para sports. Yes, when they become Paralympics champions they achieve the same recognition and respect as their peers the Olympics champions. We must, however, become more aware of opening up our sports clubs and facilities to disabled athletes or children who just need that first chance to try throwing a javelin or sprinting or swimming so that the future Ellen Keanes or Jason Smyths are not lost for the lack of exposure to opportunity.
Children generally deserve the chance to experience the joy of sports or simply just the high of mastering a new movement or skill. I have spoken previously about the importance of physical literacy and I believe we have a responsibility to our young people, particularly in light of increased screen time and fast food culture, to provide easy access to physical activity in schools. There is a commitment in the programme for Government to provide school-going children with 60 minutes of physical activity per day. I look forward to discussing with the Minister of State and some of his Cabinet colleagues how we can deliver this over the lifetime of this Government.
The Minister of State will appreciate that without the grassroots arms of our sports we would not have champions like Kellie Harrington, Caoimhín Kelleher, Rhasidat Adeleke or Rhys McClenaghan to celebrate. Every single one of our international superstars will tell us that it all began at the local club with a coach who cared and who knew the game. If our national governing bodies are the vehicle through which athletes find a pathway to elite sport and global recognition, the grassroots coaches, be they volunteers or fully accredited professional coaches, are the fuel. Nothing runs without the club structure. I speak especially about the sports outside of the big three. Consider gymnastics for example. Five teenage gymnasts will travel to represent Ireland at the European Youth Olympic Festival, EYOF, later this week. The EYOF is a prestigious event that plays an important role in the overall development of athletes because it mimics the Olympic Games model. This year's event will see 48 countries across Europe participate with more than 4,000 athletes, 35 of whom are Irish teenagers. None of those 35 aspiring athletes, including the five Irish gymnasts, have reached that standard without a dedicated club coach, a local club structure, and access to high-performance facilities near their homes, schools and communities. Without local gymnastics clubs like the Phoenix Gymnastics Club or Excel Gymnastics we would not have Robert Ward or Róisín Hickey boarding a plane to represent Ireland at EYOF. If the Minister of State does not know those names now, he will for the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.
My point is that clubs need to be supported or at very least need access to finance and development aids. It is increasingly difficult in today's economic climate for clubs to provide sustainable careers to their coaches at a decent salary while rents and utilities are increasing. Gymnastics equipment, for example, is very technical and extortionately expensive but it is like the chicken and the egg: without the equipment the Phoenix Gymnastics Club cannot coach kids like Robert Ward to the standard he needs to reach for international selection. Where possible, clubs need to be supported in accessing land, funding and facilities so we can continue to produce the talent the entire nation raves about every four years at the end of an Olympics or Paralympics cycle. Investment in people and programmes trumps everything. This point was also raised in relation to sports like boxing at the select committee last night.
Core funding also speaks to the EYOF athletes hoping to make a splash at Brisbane in 2032. While our core sports funding has increased year on year I want to finish with a per capitacomparison. In 2024, based on our population of 5.3 million core funding in Ireland was roughly €22 per capita. In New Zealand with a similar population of 5.1 million, core funding came in at €44 per capita. Ireland won 13 medals at the last three Olympic Games but in the same period New Zealand won 58 in the Summer Olympic Games and another five in the Winter Olympic Games. This only serves to highlight what a similar sized nation with a similar climate has achieved when sport is well funded in the right areas. How exciting is that prospect? This is achievable.
It is generally accepted that it takes between eight and ten years of development for an elite athlete to reach their potential. Now is the time to identify the next Paul O'Donovan or Mona McSharry for the 2032 Olympics and beyond and to ensure their clubs have access to state-of-the-art facilities and the means to retain coaching talent in this country to the benefit of Irish sport into the future.
Joe Conway (Independent)
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I would be delighted to take a small trip down boithrín na smaointe for a little bit of nostalgia. Admittedly, the whole world of sport in Ireland has gone through some significant development over the last few decades. I want to paint a small picture of what sport was like for somebody like myself who went to a boarding school in the midlands of Ireland back in the 1960s. Even though St. Mel's College in Longford was a diocesan seminary, it still harboured two distinct religions. One was the dominant one, which was Roman Catholicism, and the second was the GAA. As Caesar said about Gaul, Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, which translates as "All Gaul is divided into three parts", St. Mel's College in the 1960s was also divided into three parts: the prep field, the junior field and the senior field. Everybody, boarder or day boy, belonged to one of those. You graduated up through the ranks in the toughest of winters, the most inclement of weather and the muddiest of midland fields, and at the end of it you were rewarded with a communal cold shower. That was sport in Ireland in the 1960s. Now we have a situation where sport has developed wonderfully but not all for the better I might say. If we talk to anybody in the Déise Gaeltacht they would describe a good night as "oíche le spórt, scléip agus craic" but when we talk about sport oftentimes we are missing, as the Irish idiom would have it, that sport is about fun and participation. The fun, in many instances, is now gone out of it because there is so much of the driven in sport, there is so much of the performance, there is so much of the massive rewards for sports persons, and there is the huge investment in television and sporting events. It is easy to lose sight of what sport essentially is, which is for making people strong, well and happy.
I am going to traverse a couple of the areas where I believe we are succeeding and where we might be leaving a lot to be desired in our attitudes to sport. As Senator Ní Chuilinn mentioned, sport is worth a huge amount of money to the Irish economy, probably standing at somewhere near €5 billion. There are indications of great growth in the sporting sector with tourism, the natural productivity that comes into the workforce, the decrease in mortality, the lowering of absenteeism, and the lower risk of communicable disease. Some 60,000 to 70,000 people are employed in full-time employment within the sports sector and hundreds of thousands of volunteers give up reckonable hours for sporting activities. In this country of ours we are getting on for a million people who are over the age of 65. In this regard and in sport we are falling down badly because the indications are that there is a huge drop-off after the age of 50 in sporting participation in this country.It is much more serious in the Republic than it is in Northern Ireland. Taking the whole island into consideration, the drop-off in sporting participation in the over-50s is seriously negligent in contrast to many of our European neighbours and the more enlightened economies, such as Iceland, which invests massively. I will talk about that in a second.
Talking about the older sections in society, there was a grant scheme called age and opportunity in the national grant scheme, which gave out moneys to clubs and societies that were dealing with older citizens. In County Waterford, where I have been living for the last 40-odd years, I note the amount of money given to 22 or 23 clubs that deal with older people's activities was something like €6,000. That would not buy too many O'Neill's all-Ireland footballs for each club. The Minister is coming in today talking about the great investment in Irish sport. Admittedly there is much being done but when we take it in the round, I think about €79 per capitain Ireland is being spent, or 0.4% of the national budget, on sport. I think that is about half of the EU average of 0.8%. When I was trying to bone up on this last night, the most enlightened country I found was Iceland which spends 1.5% of its national budget on sporting activity in the main, with huge investment in those over 50 who may well benefit most from sporting investment. As we all know, when people get older they are more prone to osteoporosis, isolation and social and psychological complaints that may beset them after the loss of a partner. We should not be overly proud of the resources we put at the disposal of the older section of the population to counter the great ravages that time takes on their minds and bodies in rural Ireland and in the towns and cities as well.
I am making an appeal that we have more enlightened thinking about sport. We see it as competitive, driven. We see the clubs, the big three as Senator Ní Chuilinn mentioned. While it is wonderful to see all the work they do, I like to think about the people on the other side of sport who could get enjoyment, camaraderie and support from sport, and who would use it to defeat isolation and engender better health in their old age. All of those benefits would come from being attracted back into sport. The female cohort, as they get older, are statistically far less likely to be attracted back into sporting activities. A few weeks ago two ladies came for a cup of coffee with me in Tramore. They wanted to set up a pétanque club. Heavens to Murgatroyd, I did not know what pétanque was but they told me what it was and it is ideally suited to people of older years. I hope they are facilitated in every way with Sport for All and the Waterford Sports Partnership. I hope they get every success.
I want to talk a little bit about the great contribution of my own former profession, the teaching force of Ireland, particularly the primary teachers and the work they do, in particular with Cumann na mBunscol all around the country. The explosion of popularity in Gaelic games in the last few decades is largely attributable to the work done by Cumann na mBunscol in all the counties. They say here in Dublin that GAA is now the new rugby, the middle-class sport in Dublin. I am not too sure of that but it is very attractive for youngsters, and I applaud that. It would not be happening if it were not for the teachers of Ireland who for absolutely no reward invest their time and effort into putting children out on the field from September to June in all weathers and against all circumstances.
Senators all around the House and probably the Minister of State will agree with me that there is one dark side of sport becoming much more prevalent. I see it the odd time I get a chance to watch something on Sky Sports. It is the profusion of advertising for gambling on all sporting occasions. I have seen colleagues in teaching lose their homes and marriages, all sorts of things, due to a spiral down into gambling debts. We have to take a serious look at the financing of a lot of the sporting activities and the big betting companies that are literally making a killing on this. We need to regulate the gambling industry. It runs contrary to the whole essence of sport, namely fun, spórt, scléip agus craic, the enjoyment of life.
Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call on the next speaker, I welcome guests of Deputy Wall and the retired nurses from Tralee General Hospital who are guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae. They are most welcome. Taylor from Connecticut is here as well and is most welcome.
Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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I am sharing time with Senator Rabbitte, five minutes each.
Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming here today. I rise today as Ireland continues to bask not just in sunshine but also in the success of one of our finest athletes, Katie Taylor. Her brilliance on the world stage continues to inspire, reminding us what is possible with talent, support and opportunity. Katie's journey lit a path that many others have since followed. Indeed the way was paved for her by Deirdre Gogarty. We have seen our women's football team reach the World Cup, our rugby players demand reform and respect, and our athletes, rowers and boxers bring home medals from the world's biggest stages. These are not isolated achievements; they are the result of skill, resilience and determination, often in the face of historic underinvestment and inequality. To begin, I acknowledge the significant strides that have been made in fostering excellence for sport in women as was mentioned by the Minister. Thanks to the previous leadership of the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, the former Minister, Catherine Martin, and the Minister's own leadership now we have seen real progress. Sport Ireland's gender equality in sport policy now requires funded sporting bodies to have at least 40% gender representation on their boards, a crucial step towards embedding equality in decision-making. Core funding to national governing bodies has increased and there has been a stronger emphasis on encouraging female participation at all levels. The Women in Sport programmes, as was mentioned, are encouraging more women and girls to get involved, particularly at grassroots levels.
Importantly, recent budgets have committed to enhancing supports for high-performance female athletes. This support is essential, as was stated by Senator Ní Chuilinn, not just to celebrate success but also to enable it. Our Olympians, World Cup players and community leaders in sport deserve the support and recognition that match their talent and sacrifice. We have also backed the development of a safe sporting environment because participation alone is not enough. Sport must be safe, inclusive and respectful for women and girls. Campaigns like 20x20, which we were delighted to support, have helped to reshape how we talk about and see women in sport. Visibility really matters, not only for recognition but also for the inspiration it gives to the next generation.
Despite this progress, significant challenges remain. Funding disparities are still stark. Many female athletes and teams continue to receive only a fraction of what their male counterparts do. Too often, elite level sportswomen are juggling training with full-time employment or being a parent, simply because their sport does not pay enough. Media visibility also remains a major barrier. Women's sport receives just a small share of overall coverage in Ireland. That is not just a representation issue; it affects sponsorship, public interest and the opportunities available to young girls who cannot be what they cannot see.As we know, access to facilities and professional supports also remains unequal. Female teams often report second-tier or restricted access to pitches, gyms and support staff. Changing in toilets or car parks is still too regular an occurrence. The under-representation of women in coaching, officiating and governance roles further entrenches a male-dominated culture in many sporting organisations. Cultural barriers also persist.
Teenage girls drop out of sport at much higher rates than boys. It is often due to a mix of body image, lack of confidence or simply feeling they do not belong. That is a heartbreaking waste of potential and is entirely avoidable with the right supports in place. This is not a time for complacency. We have seen what is possible when women's sport is given the spotlight and support it deserves. We have also seen the unity and pride that women's teams bring to the country on the field, in the ring and on the track. I have to agree with Senator Conway that we could also use it as a preventative message. If we get more older people to stay in sport, their fitness improves and they will live longer. We also might not have the issues we have with medical problems.
Gaps remain in media sponsorship, visibility, resources and leadership. I call on the Minister of State to continue championing policies, legislation and funding to push us closer to full equality in sport because the work is obviously not finished.
On a quick personal note, Termonfeckin tennis club near me in County Louth has received tremendous capital funding. I have just started tennis lessons. I fear I will not be ready for Wimbledon next year, the year after or possibly in a decade. At the same time, I am enjoying it and we would not have it if it were not for that confidence in the sport and being able to get those vital funds.
Let us ensure no young girl in Ireland ever questions - whatever age she may be - where she belongs on the pitch, in the ring, on the starting line or on the tennis court.
Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Chair and welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank him for being here.
Several weeks ago, I said I would like to have the Minister with responsibility for sport to come to the House for statements. The whole purpose of my request was that over the past five years, more than €500 million has been handed out to clubs up and down the length and breadth of the country. This has been fantastic and transformative, as we all will acknowledge. I want to know from the Minister of State and his Department how exactly he is observing and scrutinising the clubs that made the appeals and were successful. There were strict criteria, based on factors like community, women and girls, disability, inclusion and climate. They were the four criteria. If it was €100,000, there was €25,000 based in each criterion because that was the points scoring system involved. I want to ensure that over this Seanad term - I do not expect it today or tomorrow - the Department will be able to ensure the funding drawn down by the various clubs, organisations and major bodies actually hits those marks. We do not want to have clubs coming back and saying that because of inflation, they were able to put in the fencing and the grass, but the accessible walkway was left aside. I need to hear from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media that its prioritisation for the clubs is to ensure that all four criteria are upheld.
What projects do we see as priorities to be done within clubs? To me, it is accessibility and inclusion. If you have correct accessibility and inclusion, you have equal participation for all. Licence service agreements have been signed between the various organisations, including disability organisations and women's and girls' organisations, to ensure that applications made by clubs are validated. I want the Department to do an audited check. We have to follow the money to ensure that the need for accountability, participation and inclusion is not a matter of lip service but is understood at a grassroots level.
This brings me to the Paralympics, the wonderful success of which we saw last year in Paris. Since then, a collaborative research project by Paralympics Ireland and the University of Limerick, "The Athlete and Coach Experience of Paralympic Gateways and Pathways in Ireland" was launched in Limerick University last month. It is interesting to look at one or two of the statistics in it. On average, boys start parasports at the age of 12 while girls do not start until the age of 21, or an entire decade later. Some 54% of all Irish people participate in sport weekly. Among Irish people with disabilities, only one in three regularly take part in sport. People with a disability are almost twice as likely to be sedentary, and 40% less likely to have a club membership. I compliment Steven McNamara, Neasa Russell, Lisa Clancy and Clíona Horan on the work they have done to ensure we can have quality conversations on Paralympic sports.
Moving on from that, I wish to understand what the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media is doing with the Department of Education and Youth. The national development plan will soon be released and will show what we are doing regarding sports halls in our schools. Some of the first opportunities to participate at an equal level are in school, yet 40% of all our post-primary schools do not have a PE hall, and certainly not in the west of Ireland. We do not have a PE hall so where is that collaborative piece between schools and various Departments?
The last piece relates to looking at what the strategy is for swimming pools being rolled out. We need to ensure it has been reviewed to eliminate the idea that if a town has only 6,500 people, it does not get a swimming pool. Sometimes, the population is wider because the communities and parishes around it support the town.
I asked for statements and have probably put a lot on the table but at the end of the day, it is about participation and retention. One of the biggest issues I have with sport going forward - Senator Conway talked about gambling - is social media. Our safeguarding policies in all our clubs and organisations need to be reviewed to ensure social media is taken into consideration.
Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the next speaker, I welcome Deputy Martin Daly to the Visitors Gallery, along with Nicholas Scanlon from Roscommon, a retired garda officer who served with An Garda Síochána for many years. I hope he is enjoying his retirement and I thank him for all his service to the State throughout his many years in the force.
Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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We have all said it here today that sport is at the heart of every community in Ireland, both rural and urban. There is a GAA club with a presence in nearly every parish on our island of Ireland, as well as in the UK, Europe, the Americas, Africa, Australasia, Asia and every continent of the world inhabited by humans where there are people who have Irish roots or identify with their Irish roots. This shows the intrinsic value we place on sport as an expression not just of our nationhood but also as of our identity as humans.
As well as our aptitude for our Gaelic games, we currently are or have historically exceeded expectations in many global sports for a country of our size. In sports like athletics, running, boxing, equestrian, surfing, gymnastics, hockey and sailing - I could go on and on - we have consistently produced world champions and key members of world-beating teams. While our elite sportspeople are those who grab international headlines, sport is very much a community enterprise and has a positive impact upon all sectors of society, from young children attending nursery sessions to older people engaging in sports or performing key roles in committees and clubs.
Sport in Ireland is an expression of community. It is good for both our physical and mental health. It is good value for the nation's wealth. We spend between €1.1 billion and €1.5 billion annually on combatting obesity. This is to say nothing of the savings that could be made in mental health services and cardiac care, as well as the improvements in productivity and the overall well-being of the population, if we invested more in sports. There is an old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and there is research to back this up. When we spend on preventative measures, such as encouraging people to participate in sport, we automatically make savings in the health budget.
Sport, when delivered well locally, fosters a sense of community, belonging and cohesion and encourages inclusion. I am grateful for the volunteers in my own community. I have three teenage children and being involved in sport has definitely kept them out of trouble. It teaches them commitment, self-awareness, discipline and teamwork and I am grateful for the volunteers who run the clubs.Sports should be, and can be, an effective defence against the increased levels of sexism, racism and intolerance that blight much of the online and social media landscape. It has come up many times in the debate that many of us have seen in our own communities how sport can be a force for genuine social inclusion and action. None of this happens by accident. It happens through good social policy and investment in communities and grassroots organisations whose volunteer members turn up to training sessions week in and week out. In north Sligo and south Donegal, we are immensely proud of our Olympic medalist Mona McSharry. Mona is from the village of Grange, County Sligo and trained in the pool in Ballyshannon, County Donegal. The building the pool is located in is owned by Donegal County Council and our own pool in Sligo is owned by Sligo County Council. There are often employment challenges in sports centres because the staff often do not enjoy the same employment rights as their colleagues directly employed by local authorities. However, I am not going to go into that.
Success such as Mona's demonstrates how a sense of community and volunteerism extends from the very base to the pinnacle of sport, from the infant to the Olympic champion. These two pools in Ballyshannon and Sligo also highlight the underinvestment in all levels of sport in our region, which Senator Rabbitte also referenced. When Mona and our other swimmers take to the pool in Olympic competition, it is in a 50 m pool. However, she had no access to a 50 m pool growing up. People in Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal have no access to such a pool. There are three 50 m pools in Dublin and one in Limerick. It is high time that a 50 m pool is constructed in the north west to take advantage of the huge interest in swimming in our region. Ballyshannon, Carrick-on-Shannon and Sligo have fantastic swim clubs and surf and rescue teams that compete at the highest levels. A 50 m pool based in Sligo would serve the region. We have the Atlantic Technological University in Sligo and this would allow us to push this enthusiasm for swimming to a higher level. As has also been mentioned, the fact that girls often leave sport as they approach their teenage years has hit the headlines more in recent times. SIPTU has been instrumental in supporting, advocating and campaigning for the fair treatment of women in soccer, which is so welcome. Fair treatment and improved terms and conditions for female athletes across all codes has to be encouraged and prioritised if girls are to stay on in sports. Many female Senators spoke to this.
Integration in the GAA is a welcome move and must be managed carefully and with sensitivity with equality at its core. The Labour Party has a range of practical ideas that would improve the take-up of opportunities in sport, including more swimming pools, multisport facilities and all-weather pitches in towns with populations of over 5,000. My colleague Senator Mark Wal, brought a Bill through the Seanad to ban gambling ads. This is a huge problem.
Last week, I highlighted the case of Scoil Mhuire in Carrick-on-Shannon where the PE hall has been split in two to provide extra classroom space. This is an example of the underinvestment in sports facilities in schools. Each school should have proper PE facilities and these along with halls, pitches, basketball courts and playgrounds should be available to be used by local clubs, children and community groups when the schools are closed. I have previously called in the Seanad for the Government to indemnify schools against any insurance claims. We have these wonderful facilities in schools sitting there locked in the evenings and during the summer holidays. We can do so much more to support sporting initiatives. We could start with a small measure like this and use the facilities in our communities to their maximum capacity.
Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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I am sharing my time with Senator Collins.
Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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Sport is the bedrock of many communities across Ireland. It is so important for physical and mental health. GAA, soccer, rowing, cricket, boxing and many other sports clubs are vital outlets for youth and social participation helping not only individual physical and mental health but building social bonds that can last a lifetime, tying together and supporting people of all ages. We should be proud of our sporting achievements. Last weekend, Katie Taylor proved that she is the GOAT, greatest of all time and that she is world class. She is an icon for women's sport and boxing. Katie Taylor deserves to have one of her last fights in Croke Park. It is incumbent on the Minister to ensure this happens. He is investing €10 million in bringing two American football teams over to participate in a once-off event in Dublin. The least that Katie deserves is a fight in Croke Park. He can make it happen and should make it happen. Katie deserves it. If he can back two American football teams, he can back our own. The Minister should back Katie Taylor to fight in Croke Park in one of her last fights. That would be important.
Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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Likewise, we can only be proud of our record-breaking Olympic team last summer and the continued success and positivity of our Gaelic games. It is worth recognising the popularity of our domestic sports. Football, hurling and camogie are essentially unrivalled in Europe where globalised sports such as soccer, cricket and rugby are the only games in town. Where else in Europe can indigenous sports attract many tens of thousands of supporters in the same way that the ongoing All-Ireland football and hurling championships can as we have seen over recent weekends? However, that does not change the fact that our sports facilities and programmes have been chronically under-resourced and under-supported for years. I agree with Senator Ní Chuilin that Ireland is underinvesting in sport compared to our European neighbours and other smaller countries across the globe. We are clearly at the bottom of the table when it comes to sport investment and that has to change. Sinn Féin has repeatedly called for increased capital funding to reopen the LSIIF for a fresh round. The sports capital fund is welcome, but it does not issue funding annually. It is not consistent. It is not built into the system and the infrastructure. We need to ensure we have a sports facilities strategy. We need to carry out an audit across the country to discover where the gaps are and where there is a good supply of facilities. That audit has to inform a sports facilities strategy. Inner city clubs very often miss out on sports capital programme funding because their members do not have the professional skills required to submit successful applications. In affluent areas clubs can apply for funding. Its members have the professional skills and the time to do so. Clubs in these areas are disproportionately successful when applying for funds. In the past having the Minister in their constituency was a huge boost for clubs applying for sports capital grant funding in the past, although maybe not so much now. Successive Governments have failed to adopt an effective strategy in improving sports across the State resulting in Ireland consistently having the lowest rate of expenditure on sport and recreation.
In Dublin, we need continued support for Dalymount Park, Richmond Park and Tolka Park, alongside vital community resources such as Irishtown Stadium, which is vital to the community in Ringsend and Irishtown and for local clubs Crusaders and St. Patrick's CYFC, in particular. St. Pat's, a local football team, put in a huge amount of effort and work into the community.
I am disappointed that the Government has failed to commit to increasing the betting levy by 1% from 2% to 3% to finance sport investment. It would have been a huge boost for sport. The commitment to do so was in both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil's election manifestos, but was then silently dropped from the programme for Government after the election. No one has indicated that it will be considered in the upcoming budget. A 1% tax increase in the betting levy would have raised approximately €50 million. This would have been a huge boost to all sports, not just the big three. It would have affected sports like rowing and cricket as well. It would also have been a huge opportunity to invest in League of Ireland soccer because Irish soccer is not looking great.I heard speculation the Minister of State's party is approaching Packie Bonner to run for President. I am not sure if he will rule that out.
We have to invest in Irish football. Irish football, or Irish soccer, is on its knees in terms of facilities. It is going through a revival with regard to fans and fan support but the facilities are absolutely appalling. In some League of Ireland grounds the toilets are just Portakabins or Portaloos. That is just not acceptable in this day and age. We are talking about disability access and so on and it just is not right. We need to invest in League of Ireland football because if we do not, not only will it affect our men's and women's international teams but we will not have a local industry. We have the horse racing industry and the greyhound industry and the Government is happy to support them. Yet with a 1% increase in the betting tax, we could create a football industry. Unfortunately, however, the Government has decided not to do that, although before the election its members flirted with the electorate around improving investment in sport. After the election they just ghosted them. It is not acceptable. We need a commitment to back sport, football and League of Ireland football, and ensure that Katie Taylor fights in Croke Park.
Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I wish to discuss sport in the sense that it is not just elite sport we need to talk about, it is all sport. I wish to discuss one sport in particular, which is swimming. I spoke about this a couple of weeks ago here in the Seanad. Swimming as a sport is not just competitive. A swimming service has young and old people as beginners. It is there for physiotherapy and can be used for so much more than just competitive swimming. That is why it would be ideal to have public swimming pools brought into counties in Ireland. There is one in County Limerick which is trying to go into a public realm, but it seems to be hitting a wall. It is actually in the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan’s backyard in Newcastle West. It would be nice for him to speak on it some time, or pass on a message with regard to whether it looks like it is going ahead or not.
Speaking of County Limerick, we had an opportunity last year to bring the World Rally Championship, WRC, to Ireland, which would have had massive economic turnover for both Limerick and Tipperary and Waterford, which were also included in it. That was put on the back burner because those concerned needed to reassess and review certain things within the contracts. However, it seems to be dead in the water. It would be nice to get an idea as to where that stands and whether we are going to see the World Rally Championship come to Ireland and in particular, to Limerick, Waterford and Tipperary.
Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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Sports should be for everyone but right now, we see two-tier examples of how Ireland is failing to live up to its own values. First, let me address the 47 Palestinian children who were denied the chance to visit Ireland. These children are aged nine to 16 years. They wanted to play Gaelic football here. They live in refugee camps. They have never seen the sea or been on a train. They live in fear. Ireland calls itself the land of hundreds of thousands of welcomes. We say we support Palestine and our Government talks about solidarity but when Palestinian children want to visit, we say no. The Department of justice stated the children do not have proper documents, but GAA Palestine gave them everything they asked for, including birth certificates, consent forms and financial guarantees; absolutely everything.
What is wrong with this picture? Israel's citizens can enter Ireland without a visa but Palestinian children living under occupation are treated like threats. That is not solidarity; it is discrimination. These children lost €38,000 on flights they could not use. Hundreds of Irish volunteers worked for months to prepare and all of this was wasted because of the red tape. One child asked, “But the Irish stand with us, why don't they want us to visit?” How do we answer that? When Ukrainian children needed help, Ireland moved fast. We found hotel rooms. We got through red tape. We opened our hearts. Yet when Palestinian children ask for a two-week visit, we treat them like criminals. This is not just about sport, it is about whether our values mean anything. The Minister of State cannot support Palestine with words, it is actions we need. I wanted to read that out. More than 40 children were denied access to this country to play sports. We state sport does not have any discrimination and is something that brings us all together but that was not the case for these children. I call on the Minister of State to support these children to come to Ireland to give them that equality of opportunity to play Gaelic football and hurling.
I live in Ardara, County Donegal. The Minister of State is a Donegal man himself. I spoke with the women's GAA team in Ardara. I invited them here two summers ago and they got to experience Leinster House, and the girls played a game of football with young women from the Jobstown GAA club. The women in Ardara want proper funding. They want to be treated equally to the men that play GAA in Ardara. They want physiotherapy and counselling. When it comes to sports, they want all the supports that men have in this field. I will say, unless we invest in women's sport and in people from minority groups, our sports are not inclusive.
The Traveller community loves to play handball. Many members of the Traveller community have kept handball alive within communities and unfortunately, it is not seen by the Department as a valuable sport. It is something that is a part of Traveller culture. We talk about horse racing and unfortunately, many Travellers are denied the right to be able to facilitate horse racing. I urge the Minister of State to look at the inequalities that we have in our Department of sport.
Women in boxing are treated as less than men in boxing. I know many young Traveller women who absolutely love boxing but they are not out there as much as the men and do not get the support the men get.
We should encourage and support women in the GAA when they want to wear black shorts. I know in Cork, a group of women wear black shorts. That is something we should support as legislators as well. The Minister of State needs to think about inclusivity and what that means throughout Ireland as a whole.
Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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Before I call up the next speaker, I welcome visitors from Teach Oscail Family Resource Centre, Cavan, who are guests of Senator Pauline Tully. If they were with a school we would give them homework off for the rest of the week, but they are not. They are very welcome. I call Senator Joe Flaherty.
Joe Flaherty (Fianna Fail)
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I wish to try to cover a few issues. One of the things we can come back to at the close is when the Minister of State expects to issue a new call for the sports facility fund and also the large-scale sports infrastructure fund. I have listened with interest to all of the speakers.During the lifetime of the previous Government we saw unprecedented investment in sport in terms of the sports facility fund. At the end of last year almost €250 million was invested in sport. Critical to that was incubating a culture of equality across all sporting organisations. I see it in my own local GAA club, which is fully set up to cater for female and male participants alike. I can see it being replicated to a lesser extent in soccer clubs, as there are challenges for them. It is important to acknowledge that such work is under way. We have a significant issue with soccer clubs in terms of trying to access investment. GAA clubs own their own grounds and it is easy for them to apply for sports capital funding but most soccer clubs do not own their facilities and, where they do, it is the exception rather than the norm. In the lifetime of the previous Government it was mooted that we were looking at a parks and playing fields initiative that would address the issue, whereby local authorities and sports clubs could come together on communal grounds and possibly a number of clubs could share grounds. For example, in the case of Longford town, we could bring three or four of the closest soccer clubs together and develop a bespoke playing area for them with three to four pitches. That would be an obvious solution for them.
Like many others in the House I was deeply saddened to hear the news about the North Down Cricket Club. It was planning to have an inclusive week-long camp involving youngsters from the local GAA club. It was horrific news to wake up to and it shows how far we have to come as a country and society. Nobody in this House does not embrace the concept of a united Ireland, and we value it dearly, but if we are serious about it, it is important that we are able to reach out to the unionist and loyalist communities and to bring them on a journey with us. The last thing we want in this country is a vitriolic campaign for unity. We want both sides of the divide to come together for it. I note the first Speaker in this House was Lord Glenavy, who was very much of the unionist tradition. This House was set up on the founding principle that it was to unite a country that was deeply divided in the aftermath of the War of Independence and the subsequent Civil War. I would like the Cathaoirleach and this House, and the Ceann Comhairle, reach out to the North Down Cricket Club and invite it and several of the other clubs that were due to take part in that event to Leinster House. We must show solidarity with that community. It is very important as a society that they know they have friends. We are all about sport. We love sport here.
Horse racing was referenced by a couple of speakers. We cannot underestimate the value of horse racing. In sporting terms, we are very much the All Blacks of horse racing. We have the best jockeys in the world, both male and female. Arguably the most successful female jockey of all time, who recently retired, is an Irish jockey. We cannot undersell the value of that investment by the Government in horse racing.
If the Chair will bear with me, I will make one final point. In the aftermath of Storm Éowyn the Minister of State wrote to sports partnerships asking for a briefing on clubs that were affected by storm damage. Five clubs across Longford – Ballyboro FC, Real Clondra FC, St. Brigid's GAA, the rugby club in Longford and Abbeylara Handball Club were all damaged, with the costs varying between €1,000 and €5,000. The most significant damage was to Longford Town soccer club, where a perimeter wall was knocked down, which will cost €100,000 to replace. Could the Minister of State have a look at that and see if he can provide any assistance to Longford Town FC?
Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State very much for facilitating today's statements on sport. Like previous speakers, I reiterate the health benefits of investing in sport. We have often spoken in this Chamber about revitalising and regenerating rural Ireland and what a rural economy needs to survive. Sporting facilities are what a community needs to survive. I am not so old that I do not recall getting changed for soccer and Gaelic games in the back of cars. Likewise, I can remember togging out for football games in converted containers with a few planks. We have come a long way. The investment the Department has made in facilities nationwide has added to that. We have reaped the benefits as a country as we have seen improvements in the level of skills and in participation. It is great to have a discussion about gender balance and getting more women involved in sport because that was not the conversation ten or 15 years ago. We welcome that whole conversation.
I would like to tie in with something Senator Rabbitte mentioned about swimming pools. I am lucky enough to come from a part of the country where for most of my life we have a 33 m outdoor swimming pool open for the three months of the summer. It has been a benefit to our community healthwise but also from a water safety point of view and teaching people the life skill of swimming. That has been far reaching. We have not reached the heights of Mona McSharry yet but if we can extend the pool to 50 m, who knows what the potential for that will be.
At the end of 2024, Roscommon as a county was approved for funding of €5.5 million from the large-scale sports infrastructure scheme. It was for the development of the Dermot Earley Centre of Excellence by Roscommon GAA. The chairman, Brian Carroll, and the entire Roscommon county board deserve massive credit for that. That was something we achieved without having a Minister of State with responsibility for sport in the constituency, which is welcome.
Ireland has always punched well above its weight. That is because of our deep-rooted passion for sport and the high level of participation that we have. Irish athletes are renowned for their grit, determination and ability to perform under pressure. We are looking for the same commitment from the Department of sport, that is - grit, determination and ability to perform under significant pressure. The Minister of State should not feel the pressure here today to provide more money but if he could, we would appreciate it for all of our constituencies.
I cannot speak about sport without acknowledging some of our renowned athletes in Roscommon. In my town, Aoife and Lisa O'Rourke are two internationally recognised boxers. Bringing Katie Taylor back to perform in Croke Park has been mentioned. Lisa, who was recognised in 2022 as the young sportsperson of the year, also plays midfield for Roscommon. We might have an international boxer performing in Croke Park before Katie Taylor at some stage.
We have also had discussions here about supporting people like Alex Dunne in Formula One and other athletes who are flying the flag for Ireland further afield who are not getting recognition. I am glad I got to speak after Senator Flaherty as I am going to speak about two people who I am going to claim for Roscommon, namely,Jake and Luke Bermingham, who are leading the way in freestyle kayaking. Jake is 16 and is ranked seventh in the world in the junior men's category and Luke is 14 and he is ranked fourth in the world in the junior category. We must look at additional sports that are off the mainstream radar and support them because that is how we will get more participation across society.
Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I rise today to speak not just about sport but about truth, fairness and the rights of women and girls in Ireland. We hear a lot from the Government about promoting women in sport. We hear about funding, campaigns and slogans but when it comes to the most basic principle of fairness, ensuring that women's sport is for women, this Government is silent. What is worse is that it is complicit in the erosion of women's sports by refusing to act. Let me be clear: women's sport must be for biological females only. This is not a radical statement, it is common sense, it is fair and it is safe. We now have evidence of males competing in women's pool competitions in Ireland, of men entering ladies' masters golf tournaments and even playing in LGFA matches. The Countess, a pro-women's advocacy group, has received credible confidential reports of both of these incidents I just mentioned, as well as younger boys participating in schools and underage girls sports such as volleyball, camogie and Gaelic football. These are not isolated incidents, they are part of a growing trend. The silence from our sporting authorities is deafening. Why is that? It is because our national governing bodies are afraid of litigation from gender-ideology activists. They are afraid of being labelled. They are also afraid of standing up for women and girls. Fear is not policy and cowardice is not leadership. One body has shown courage, namely, the IRFU. It has a clear policy - being a female at birth is the criterion for playing in women's and girls' rugby.The IRFU made that decision based on fairness and safety. It has not been challenged, because it is legal. Let me repeat that. It is legal in Ireland to exclude males from female sports. While it is not illegal to include them, it is unfair, unsafe and immoral.
We need statutory guidance; not vague suggestions but clear, robust direction from the Government. Our sporting bodies must know what they are not only allowed but expected to do to protect the female category. If the Government were serious about women in sport, it would link funding to that protection. If there is no such policy, there will be no funding. It is that simple. Otherwise, all the talk about encouraging girls to stay in sport and tackling dropout from sport by teenage girls is meaningless. Studies from UK groups have shown that when forced into competing against biological males, girls will not kick up a fuss. They will simply walk away and self-exclude. We will lose them from sport not because they are not good enough but because we failed to protect them.
The Sport Ireland guidance document, recent polling by the Sunday Independentand polling by the pro-LGBT organisations all show the vast majority of Irish people, particularly those involved in sport, support the protection of the female category. Why is the Government ignoring them? Let us be honest. This debate has been hijacked and reframed as a question of trans inclusion. In fact, this is not about identity. It is about biology. All females, regardless of identity, belong in female sport, and no males do.
The physical advantages of males, including greater muscle mass, bone density and lung capacity, are measurable before puberty and increase dramatically after it. These advantages increase men's ability not only to cause injury but also to avoid injury. Testosterone suppression does not erase these advantages. The science is clear but the silence is political.
Let us not forget privacy and safeguarding. Girls deserve female-only coaches, changing rooms and toilets. Mixed-sex facilities increase the risk for women and children. Research in the UK shows 90% of complaints of sexual assaults and voyeurism in changing rooms related to unisex facilities. This is not an opinion; it is a fact. The Women's Rights Network has documented it in detail.
I want to be clear about something else. This is not just about elite and professional sport. Arguably, women and girls in grassroots sports need protection most of all. Participation in grassroots sports and exercise is a right for young girls, not to mention a lifeblood of our communal life. Grassroots sports lead to elite sports. Girls, even very talented ones, will leave if they face unfairness. Women and girls at all levels deserve fairness.
Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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The Senator's time is up. It is important that everybody get a chance to speak.
Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for facilitating this discussion and for his work to date in this area. Sport is the great connector of communities and civic life. It brings people and communities together. It can be such a force for good in terms of both physical and mental health.
We need standardisation of provision of sporting facilities across the country. One town or village that has a competent community group should not receive all the different funding for various types of infrastructure while a place with a larger population that does not have its act together receives very little. This is important because there are areas of lower socioeconomic advantage that have less of a community skill set in terms of drawing down funding to develop sporting infrastructure. We need an audit of all facilities and where there are blackspots, the State must intervene.
Young children should not have to rely on whether, on the part of volunteers or the local authority, there are competencies within a community and whether people have an interest in a particular sport or a certain type of facility. We should have a standard basic level of sporting infrastructure provision in towns, including all-weather, full-sized GAA pitches, all-weather soccer pitches and skateboard parks. These basic standard amenities should be rolled out. We should not always wait for an application to come from a certain place.
My town of Ballina has a population of more than 10,000. For one reason or another, we do not have an all-weather, full-sized GAA pitch or an all-weather soccer pitch. There would be a significant impact on both those sporting codes if we had those facilities in an area where it rains twice as much as it does on the east coast. Right along the western seaboard, we need sporting infrastructure that is properly accessible, under floodlighting, throughout the year. We must ensure there is access to such sporting infrastructure for everyone.
I was never too interested in facilities like skateboard parks but there is a cohort of 10% to 15% of people who would like them. There may be hidden talents we cannot unearth because the facilities are not there to enable people to do so. Skateboarding is just one example of many. Covered outdoor basketball courts would allow young people to play that sport throughout winter. Creating a plan for the provision of those amenities would have such a positive impact.
The Mayo under-16s ladies' team are playing in the All-Ireland final this evening against Kerry in Nenagh, County Tipperary. I wish all the players and the management the best of luck. I hope there is adequate sporting infrastructure in towns and villages throughout Mayo and right across the country for the next generation of players.
Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State is most welcome to the House. I know he has an interest in sport, particularly the performance of his county's football team last weekend. It is a very exciting time for the county.
Sport is an equaliser, it brings connectivity and it brings people together. It absolutely must be fully accessible. Many families in our nation are very committed to all kinds of sports. The GAA has percolated into every town and village in the country and we also see the prominence of other sports. The development of facilities is very encouraging, with hundreds of millions of euro of Government spending in recent years on upgrading facilities the length and breadth of the country. That is all very welcome.
I have less than 20% eyesight. As a young fellow in County Clare, there was no opportunity for me to participate in sport. Thankfully, that situation has improved significantly. I commend Special Olympics Ireland on its wonderful work. Our paralympians also do fantastic work representing the country. This time last year, Senator Rabbitte, who was then Minister of State, and I attended an event in Farmleigh House to recognise the stunning achievement of the visually impaired paralympians in the Paralympic Games. It was wonderful.
There must be access to facilities for people who are not elite athletes and may not fall into the Special Olympics category. I am talking about people like me who need, should and deserve to be more active. Every child with a disability in this country should be able to be active, be involved in sport and have access to their local facilities, whether for swimming, football, soccer, rugby, tennis or whatever is their chosen sport.
I was on the board of directors of Active Disability Ireland for a number of years. That organisation, which is based in Kerry and now has a national footprint, has done huge work to promote and encourage governing bodies to ensure they have programmes that include everybody, including football for all and other accessible sporting provision for all people with disabilities.
One positive measure the Minister of State's Department could engage in is to ensure that all sports capital grants have a requirement that organisations demonstrate in a real and meaningful way, not as a box-ticking exercise, how they are making their facilities accessible to everybody. They must show what programmes they have in place to ensure inclusivity, whether it is wheelchair hurling or having vision-impaired people involved in the club.What are they doing to make sport available to everybody, irrespective of their ability or disability? In previous Governments, significant progress was made in this area but it needs to be firmed up. There is no reason a young person should not be included in PE in their school simply because they have a physical disability. It is not good enough and it should not be accepted. The debate today has been interesting. I agree wholeheartedly with everything Senator Rabbitte said earlier. She made a difference when she was Minister of State and was committed. There are lots of Ministers who do a lot of talking, but Senator Rabbitte made a huge difference. I know that the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, will do the same. I have known him a long time and he is deeply committed to what he does.
Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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I call on the Minister of State to respond. He has ten minutes.
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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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.
Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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Bring her back to fight at Croke Park.
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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It is a great joy to be here today as for the fourth time ever in our country's history we have an Irish holder of the yellow jersey. It will be hard to hold onto in the Tour de France, but it is wonderful to see. That is an event which we have seen in Ireland in the past. We are always open and willing to engage in relation to any opportunities that might arise in that regard.
I thank the Senators for the opportunity to be here. I am always available to engage with them on an individual basis on queries and priorities they might have because all of them are passionate about sport and value the role sport plays in our lives, and indeed, the potential it has to play an even stronger role with all of us working together. I thank them for demonstrating that commitment today by having us attend. I look forward to continuing with the Senators over the time ahead.
Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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I wish County Donegal every success.