Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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109. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the relatively low number of women participating in sports; the initiatives he is taking to rectify that imbalance; and the strategies that exist to encourage more women to participate in sport. [40895/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to say that recent figures provided to me by the Irish Sports Council as part of their interim results from the first six months of data collected for the 2013 Irish Sports Monitor indicate that, for participation levels by gender, it is females that are more likely to have increased their sporting participation compared to 2011 figures. In particular, the interim figures indicate that participation by females aged between 35 and 44 has increased from 34% in 2011 to 44% in 2013. This is very welcome news and indicates that the strategies that are in place to encourage female participation in sport are working.    

The Irish Sports Council, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the promotion, development and coordination of sport.  This includes responsibility for the Women in Sport Programme, which is aimed at increasing female participation in sport. I have referred the Deputy's question to the Council for further information in relation to the strategies for increasing female participation in sport.  I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.