Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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297. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps she is taking to increase the level of girls and women participating in sport and structural inequities regarding the treatment of female sports players; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62829/21]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Equality in sport is a key priority for Government. Our overall vision is for women to have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential while enjoying a lifelong involvement in sport. Both the Programme for Government and the National Sports Policy are unequivocal in their commitment to making this a reality.

The aim in the National Sports Policy 2018-2027 is to eliminate the gender participation gap entirely by 2027. The Programme for Government commits to prioritise increasing female participation in sport as participants, coaches, referees, and administrators as well as to increase funding year on year for the Sport Ireland's Women in Sports Programme.

The 2019 Irish Sports Monitor Report, which is the most recent full year report, showed that the gender gap in sports participation was 3.4%, narrower than at any point over the past ten years. However, recent quarterly figures show that a gender gap is beginning to re-emerge as COVID 19 restrictions are lifted. Addressing this will be a priority in the coming months.

Last month I launched the Sports Action Plan 2021-2023. The Plan outlines over 40 specific initiatives intended to ensure the sports sector's continued recovery from the impact of COVID-19, its development over the next three years and the actions required to achieve the target of 60pc of the population participating in sport and physical activity. The plan focuses on inclusion, diversity and equality and includes targets for active participation, social participation, governance and high performance sport. A copy of the plan can be found at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/93232-sports-action-plan-2021-2023/

Sport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards. This includes the allocation of funding to sporting organisations for the implementation of a range of programmes and measures to increase the level of girls and women participating in sport and to address inequalities in sports participation.

Many National Governing Bodies will begin to deliver Women in Sport and Dormant Accounts Funded Programmes this winter which will actively target populations that have been disproportionately impacted by the Pandemic including females, economically and socially disadvantaged communities, people with a disability and ethnic minorities.

The Women in Sport Funding Programme was established in 2005 and to date over €20 million has been invested through the National Governing Bodies of Sport and Local Sports Partnerships.

Sport Ireland launched a revised Women in Sport investment programme in 2019 following publication of its new Women in Sport Policy. Recognising that effective and sustainable programmes require a long-term approach, Women in Sport funding is now issues on a two year cycle to the National Governing Bodies. €4m is being allocated for the two years 2021/2022 representing a 33% increase on the 2019-2020 funding of €3m. The investment aims to support NGBs and enhance all aspects of female involvement across the Women in Sport policy target areas namely, Coaching & Officiating, Active Participation, Leadership & Governance and Visibility.

A priority this year was to eliminate the funding gap that existed in grand funding for male and female Gaelic players and I am very pleased to have achieved that aim and ensured that we have now parity in terms of that grant funding. Additional funding of €1.7m has been provided this year and for future years for enhanced support of female inter-county Gaelic games players on an equivalent basis to that being provided for their male counterparts. This additional provision brings the total amount available for female players in this context to €2.4m. This is a very important development for women's sport and demonstrates the Government's commitment to equality in sport.

The Deputy will be aware that Minister Catherine Martin and I received a letter on Friday from 59 female international rugby players, both currently active and retired, regarding issues they have with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). We have responded to the group to advise that a meeting will be sought with the IRFU and that Sport Ireland will meet with the players to discuss the issues raised. Both Minister Martin and I indicated that we were also happy to meeting with the players should that be needed, and we plan to do so before Christmas.