Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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33. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the supports that are in place and will be introduced to support women’s rugby; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22137/22]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Funding for rugby is primarily allocated by Sport Ireland through through its Field Sport Programme. Under this programme, €2.25 million is provided annually to the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) with the broad aim of creating more opportunities for young boys and girls to participate in field sports. The field sport programme is based on an ethos of developing the grassroots of the game, growing participation numbers, embracing communities outside of the traditional base of the sport and improving coaching and playing standards.

In addition, €230,000 has been allocated to the IRFU for the two years 2021 and 2022 under the Women in Sport funding programme. The Women in Sport Programme aims to support National Governing Bodies (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.

Sport Ireland also allocates funding for the women’s sevens game through its high performance funding programme. In 2021, Sport Ireland provided additional funding of €120,000 to specifically support the appointment of key personnel to coach and lead the Women’s Sevens Programme. 

The Deputy will be aware that Minister Martin and I demonstrated our support for women’s rugby through our recent engagement with the group of players who sought our support in relation to issues they had with the IRFU and particularly the reviews that the IRFU were conducting into the women’s game.

Sport Ireland supported the players in their engagement with the IRFU and remained engaged with all parties up to the launch, in March 2022, of the independent review commissioned by the IRFU into the Women’s Rugby World Cup qualification campaign. This included meetings with all of the parties present and sessions with the players.  Sport Ireland remains available to all parties should it be required.