Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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55. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for an update on the Programme for Government commitment to appoint a Sport Ireland disability lead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10060/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government sets out an ambitious future for sport in Ireland where equality of access and opportunity is paramount to everything we do. One action that will be of utmost importance to ensuring that equality of access and opportunity is a central focus for the sporting sector will be the appointment of a Disability Lead in Sport.

Inclusion and diversity will be an absolute priority for me in my role as Minister for Sport. From the outset, the National Sports Policy championed a ‘Sport-for-All’ approach aimed at ensuring 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. Inclusion means to value people’s differences, to make them feel welcome, to respect them, to make them feel that they belong.

Despite recent progress, there is an enduring participation gradient between persons with either a long-term illness or a disability and those without such illness or disability. Both my Government and Sport Ireland, as the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport including the promotion of sports participation, are extremely committed to making the gap in participation of people with disabilities in sport a thing of the past.

Both the Sports Action Plan, 2024 – 2027 and the Sport Ireland Statement and Commitment to Action in Disability Sport identified the importance of a Disability in Sport Lead. This was in turn reflected in the Programme for Government. The Women in Sport Lead has been transformational in developing and promoting women’s sport in Ireland and the Disability in Sport Lead will be modelled on this role.

I’m happy to say that, supported by the increased funding secured for sport in Budget 2025, Sport Ireland has recently appointed a ‘Disability in Sport Lead’ who will work with National Government Bodies, Local Sports Partnerships and other sporting bodies to develop and promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in sport.

In addition, Sport Ireland has allocated €2.4 million for supporting disability sport focused National Governing Bodies to continue their great work in this area. This work will ensure that anyone with a disability can avail of their absolute right to enjoy and reap the benefits of sport and physical activity.