Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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122. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to encourage members and players to return to sports following full reopening; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55117/21]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Ensuring and assisting the overall resumption capacity of the sports system is a key priority for Government and is the main driver for the considerable financial assistance which the Government is providing to the sporting sector.  

In order to facilitate the maximum possible return to sport for people of all ages, I was pleased to confirm last month that a new special funding package of up to €65 million will be available to support the sport sector this year.  Allied to the additional current expenditure of €26.3 million already provided to Sport Ireland, this equates to a total of €91.3 million in additional current funding to support the sport sector in 2021.

Following an invitation for applications last month, Sport Ireland is currently assessing applications from NGBs and sports clubs with the aim of distributing this special funding this year. This new package is additional to the €88.5 million that was provided last year, which benefited all levels of the sport sector, including thousands of grassroots clubs and Community Groups across the country. 

In addition to these financial supports, which benefit young and old alike, I consider that a public information campaign emphasising the benefits of sport can also contribute to a comprehensive resumption to sporting activity. Last month, Sport Ireland launched such a campaign under the title of “Let’s Get Back”. The campaign is aimed at encouraging members of the public that are anxious or unsure about returning to sport and physical activity that it is possible to do so in a safe and secure manner. The campaign also collaborated with social media influencers and platforms to promote the message to the younger demographic. 

The campaign is part of a wider winter initiative to get people back to sport, with activities planned throughout the sports sector, and provides National Governing Bodies with a perfect platform to launch their Winter Programmes.

Under this initiative, Sport Ireland are co-ordinating activities across the NGB and LSP sector, to ensure that a Return to Sport takes place across the Winter months. Hundreds of activities are already planned or taking place across the country, and this will continue throughout the winter as we strive to get the sport sector back on its feet.

In line with a safe return to sport, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that Government agreed last week to widen the range of sporting opportunities for young people which enables under 18 indoor sports games and competitions in sports such as basketball to go ahead. On foot of this, updated guidance has been provided by Sport Ireland to sporting organisations to allow children under 18 years of age to participate in indoor games and competition activities according to the ordinary rules and limits of the sport concerned.  The full guidance can be accessed on the Sport Ireland website at:

www.sportireland.ie/covid19/return-to-sport-and-physical-activity

While the pace and extent of the return to sport for all people is significantly dependent on the capacity of the various sporting organisations and clubs at local level, I hope that these measures will help support organisations and clubs in bringing many people back to sporting activity as quickly as possible.