Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is unequivocal in its stance against all forms of violence, racism, discrimination and other forms of abuse in sport and gives effect to this position through a variety of measures. In particular, Sport Ireland has a specific Policy on Diversity and Inclusion in Sport and this was published in May 2022. The policy expresses a vision for a sport sector that celebrates diversity, promotes inclusion, and is proactive in providing opportunities for lifelong participation for everyone.

Both my Department and Sport Ireland are fully committed to developing a strong and diverse National Governing Body (NGB) sector that delivers for the sporting community in Ireland. A key focus in this regard is to assist NGBs to develop sustainable and effective structures to facilitate increased numbers of participants and volunteers in sport.

Sport Ireland is currently developing a suite of resources relating to diversity and inclusion in and through sport. This will consist of targeted workshops and the development of resources which can be disseminated across all levels of the sport sector.

Moreover, through the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strand of the Dormant Accounts funded sports programme, Sport Ireland received a number of applications for funding from NGBs to strengthen their work in the area of equality, diversity and inclusion in sport, and to support the implementation of the Sport Ireland Policy on Diversity and Inclusion in Sport. Sport Ireland will continue to support NGBs in this regard.

I would also like to emphasise the national code of conduct template developed by Sport Ireland for Irish sports, which I launched in August 2023. In response to several high-profile incidents, Sport Ireland partnered with representatives from the Irish sports sector, including referees and officials, to develop this template code of conduct for sport in Ireland, the implementation of which we will be monitoring closely. This initiative aims to foster a culture of respect, integrity, and fairness within the sporting community by addressing and eliminating abuse towards referees, officials, coaches, players, and all participants involved. The newly created code of conduct template outlines a set of guidelines and principles that promotes the behaviour and conduct expected from athletes, coaches, parents/guardians, supporters, referees/officials, and club members, regardless of the sporting environment.

The template can be found on the Sport Ireland website at www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/media/document/2023-08/Sport%20Ireland%20Code%20of%20Conduct%20Template.pdf.