Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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65. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps she has taken to support sporting organisations and other similar organisations in ensuring that young persons will return; if she has held stakeholder engagement on the issue; and if she will support these groups in outreach campaigns to encourage young persons back given the significant impact Covid-19 has had on the cohort. [21937/21]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am acutely aware of the scarring effect that the pandemic has had on young people’s participation in sport especially. There has been an extensive engagement with the sports sector on a number of different levels, Ministerial, Departmental and also though Sport Ireland. Every few weeks, I chair meetings of the Covid-19 Sports Monitoring Group during which there is an excellent exchange of views with the National Governing Bodies of Sport and Local Sports Partnerships. 

The Government is providing strong financial support for the sector. Last week, Sport Ireland announced an investment of €40 million to support the NGBs and LSPs which will help to encourage and support all concerned, young and old alike, to return to their sport of choice as the public health advice allows. This investment builds on the funding package of €88.5m. allocated to sports organisations last year. We are currently working on the development of another support package. In addition, I hope to complete within the next few weeks a Sports Action Plan to cover the next three years which will contain a number of important measures to steer increased participation in sport.  

I consider that the challenges being faced by young people to be a particular priority. In recent weeks I have held two separate, excellent consultations with young people from Galway, Dublin, Cork, Meath, Tipperary and Waterford. Areas such as access to facilities, transport issues, peer pressure, exam pressure and coaching standards were amongst the most prominent issues raised.

Subject to public health guidance, I intend holding an in-person event around this topic later this year where I hope those involved in providing sport for our young people can attend and listen to their needs.