Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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89. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress made on delivering a strategy to support the delivery of the International Sports Diplomacy Framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54248/25]

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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90. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when the steering group to oversee the implementation of the International Sports Diplomacy Framework will be established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54249/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 90 together.

Recognising the value of sports to Ireland's international engagement, the Government in May launched Ireland’s first ever International Sports Diplomacy Framework. The Framework aims to help build Ireland’s reputation as a premier sporting nation, while fostering opportunities for international partnerships, cultural exchange and diaspora engagement. It also considers how best to leverage the Government’s significant investment in sport at all levels to advance Ireland’s foreign policy and economic priorities and promoting Ireland’s values.

The Framework commits to developing an International Sports Diplomacy Strategy to support the delivery of this Framework. Work is underway to develop the Strategy, which will identify priorities and lessons learned from stakeholders across relevant sectors, and seek to achieve maximum impact of the Framework’s goals.

A steering group has been established to implement this Framework, jointly chaired by senior officials from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Membership of the steering group includes eight government departments and seven state agencies.

The main purpose of this steering group is to lead development of the new International Sports Diplomacy Strategy. Two meetings of the steering group have been held to date, most recently on 09 September, where a roadmap for targeted stakeholder consultations on the new Strategy was agreed. The consultations will include a targeted engagement with key stakeholders, including National Governing Bodies for Sport, current and former athletes, relevant state agencies and local authorities, business and trade organisations, NGOs, civil society and members of Ireland's sporting diaspora.

As set out at the time of the publication of the Framework, the aim is to publish the Sports Diplomacy Strategy by end-2025 and we remain on target to achieve this.