Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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53. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to provide details on the way the Government is encouraging national sporting bodies/organisations to actively promote integration, unity and activity for asylum seekers and refugees nationwide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3506/23]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Promoting and encouraging integration and unity in the context of sports participation is an inherent part of the Sport for All approach that is central to the ongoing implementation of our National Sports Policy. In this context, the overriding aim is to ensure that all persons have the opportunity to partake equally in sport and physical activity, regardless of age, social-economic status, disability, or membership of, for example, the LGBTI+ community, the Traveller community or other ethnic minorities. I can assure the Deputy that the particular interests and needs of asylum seekers and refugees are fully kept in mind in delivering the various programmes and funding allocations made to National Governing Bodies (NGBs) by Sport Ireland, the agency responsible for the development of sport in Ireland.

The Sports Action Plan 2021-2023 includes a series of actions and initiatives aimed at increasing participation levels across the board. The plan's emphasis is heavily orientated towards increasing inclusion, diversity and equality in sport. It contains a specific commitment to establish an Inclusion, Diversity and Equality Fund to promote increased and sustainable participation in sport among a wide range of population cohorts, including ethnic minorities. It further commits that this fund will apply the Sport for All ethos. Work is underway to embed the Sport for All approach in funding drawn down from the Dormant Accounts funds that are specifically aimed at increasing participation levels amongst disadvantaged communities and people with a disability. The total amount of funding being allocated from the Dormant Accounts funding for such projects this year is €12 million, more than twice the amount available a number of years ago.

Sport Ireland plays a central role in this area. In the discharge of its legislative mandate, it maintains an ongoing and close liaison with all of the sporting bodies to ensure that an inclusive and integrated approach is followed in the delivery of Sport Ireland's Participation Plan 2021-2024 – Increasing Participation in Changing Ireland. That Participation Plan outlines how Sport Ireland is working to help people get active by removing barriers to participation in sport and physical activity in the coming years. Its actions are being delivered through the Local Sports Partnerships, the NGBs, strategic partners, clubs, communities and individuals.

It is also appropriate to emphasise the particular relevance of Sport Ireland's Diversity and Inclusion policy, published in May 2022. This targeted policy has identified five strategic pillars, which are: Change, Communication, Access, Capacity and Leadership. To support delivery, twelve desired outcomes were devised within those five strategic pillars. Sport Ireland is leading on the implementation of this policy, and is working closely with the sport sector and key partners to target each of the policy areas in order to deliver on its commitments.

In relation to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, sporting bodies have been asked to help assist with supporting the accommodation and integration of arrivals from Ukraine, both by including individuals in sport and by accommodating persons within appropriate sporting facilities where necessary. The sports sector has responded positively in this regard.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Increasing participation levels in sport for all age cohorts as well as addressing women’s participation is an important element of the National Sports Policy 2018-2027 and a core priority for me and Minister Catherine Martin.

Along with Sport Ireland, the statutory agency for the promotion of sport in Ireland, we will continue to promote and encourage greater participation in sport by women and girls.

For 2023, the Government has provided a current budget allocation of €89.7 million for Sport Ireland which will enable the agency to continue to support the sport sector this year, including support for increased participation by women and girls.

The Women in Sport funding programme is an important support for sporting bodies in putting programmes in place to increase women’s participation in their sports and to progress their strategic objectives for women in sport. Sport Ireland allocated €4 million in the Women in Sport Programme for the 2021-2022 period. 45 National Governing Bodies (NGBs) received funding under this investment. A further €265,000 was invested in the Local Sports Partnerships under the Programme.

Sport Ireland will open a new cycle of Women in Sport funding for NGBs in the second quarter of this year. The funding guidelines will continue to encourage NGBs to develop women in sport programmes and initiatives focused on the key areas outlined in Sport Ireland's Policy on Women in Sport.

One of those key areas is leadership and governance. As the Deputy will be aware, the National Sports Policy recognises the importance of women's participation in leadership positions such as board members of NGBs. The Sports Action Plan sets a target for all NGBs to achieve 40% gender representation on their boards by the end of this year. It is a priority to enable women to take more leadership positions in sport and the 40% target reflects this prioritisation.

Sport Ireland continues to promote women and girls participation in sport, including through various campaigns, for example, the "It's My Time" campaign and HER Outdoors week.

"It's my Time" was launched last November, in partnership with Healthy Ireland, and aims to encourage women over 40 to increase activity levels through exercise and sport. Repeated studies, including Sport Ireland’s Irish Sport Monitor, have shown that women over 40, particularly those from disadvantaged communities, are amongst the least likely to be physically active or play sport.

The HER Outdoors Week aims to celebrate and encourage more females to get out and enjoy the benefits of being in the outdoors while bringing visibility to the opportunities for females to get involved in outdoor physical activity. The campaign targets all females including females with a disability, females from diverse ethnic groups, older females, teenage girls, and females from disadvantaged areas, etc.