The combined speeches of the proposer and seconder shall not exceed 16 minutes, and all other Senators have six minutes.

I move:

That, under Standing Order 87(1)(b), Seanad Éireann shall take note of the Report of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media entitled 'Report on Inclusion in Sport', and progress on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report, copies of which were laid before Seanad Éireann on 9th April, 2024.

I second the motion.

Before I call Senator Ní Chuilinn I welcome the working party on general affairs and their committee guests. I understand they are guests of the European affairs committee, and they are all welcome today. I hope they enjoy their visit to Leinster House. I would also like to acknowledge Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan in the Gallery, who has with him Finbar and Carl Harrington. They are welcome and I hope they also enjoy their visit to Leinster House, especially Seanad Éireann.

I am sharing time with Senator Nelson Murray at 12 minutes and four minutes.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit, an Teachta McConalogue, as ucht a bheith anseo. We have an important report to discuss. This was from the previous iteration of the Dáil and Seanad. It is a 2024 report on inclusion in sport by the sport committee. There were 17 recommendations. I am sure colleagues will speak to many of the recommendations. I will speak to approximately five of them. Inclusion in sport has never been more important, whether we are talking about women, disability, the LGBTQI+ community and ethnic minorities. It has never been a more important conversation, so it is important we revisit this report and look at where we are with the recommendations. I understand the report was published shortly before the most recent general election, so I am sure it has been difficult one to get back up and running with the recommendations. We will see where we are.

I first mention recommendation 15 about how "national governing bodies and Sport Ireland should support the growth of LQBTQIA+ orientated ... clubs." I will raise something on behalf of Senator Harmon who cannot be here. Before the summer recess, we raised a joint Commencement matter where we asked that this report be discussed. This is being raised on her behalf. I refer to the situation facing the women's team at Na Laochra Aeracha, Cork's LGBTQ+ inclusive GAA club. The women want to play Gaelic football and compete in the league, but they have been unable to properly establish the team because of the way the 2010 boundary is being applied. I am sure lots of Senators are aware of the 2010 boundary and the rules in Gaelic football. Some of the women who want to play for Na Laochra Aeracha live outside of that boundary, and as a result the club has been unable to get the numbers it needs to properly establish the women's team and play in the league. This is particularly difficult to understand when the LGBTQ+ inclusive clubs in Dublin and Belfast are able to participate in their respective competitions. There needs to be a consistent and transparent approach to how these rules are applied. Na Laochra Aeracha exists for an important reason. It provides an inclusive space for LGBTQ+ people and allies to participate in Gaelic games. For some members, including women returning to sport after many years away, that particular environment is what has enabled them to come back to Gaelic football in the first place. We know that retaining women and people from marginalised communities in sport is already a challenge. Rules should facilitate participation wherever possible rather than create unnecessary barriers to it. Senator Harmon is once again asking that the application of the 2010 boundary be reviewed and that the LGFA engage with Na Laochra Aeracha to find a practical solution that allows these women to register with their club and play competitive football. If inclusive clubs can operate and compete in Dublin and Belfast, we need to establish a clear and transparent route that allows the women of Na Laochra Aeracha in Cork to do the same. These women simply want to play football with their club. We should be doing everything reasonably possible to facilitate that. That is really reflected in recommendation 15 of this report.

A related matter is recommendation 16, which states that "The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Sport Ireland should support the hosting of a major international LGBTQIA+ multi sport tournament." I know that is probably a big ask and would probably take years of planning, but we have proven that we are really good at sport tourism here. We have had the college football and the NFL. We will obviously have the Ryder Cup. We know how to put on a show and sell tickets, and go to games and events. I think the Department and Sport Ireland could maybe look at a festival of football or something for the LGBTQIA+ community. It certainly should be explored.

Recommendation 13 states:

Visibility is critical to removing barriers to inclusion in sport. Public service media should commit to broadcasting women’s sport on an equal basis to men’s sport.

An interesting line is that "Broadcasting of disability sports should not be limited to the Paralympic Games." That is one I feel strongly about. Paralympic sport is elite sport. It is sport for people with an impairment or disability, but these are elite athletes. We talk about Orla Comerford, Ellen Keane and Róisín Ní Ríain. These women are winning medals at world level and sometimes, in the case of Orla Comerford, competing in able-bodied races and winning even though she is T13 class vision impairment in the Paralympic Games. It is a conversation that should be had between the Department, Sport Ireland and the national broadcaster. There is absolutely no reason we should have to wait four years to see paralympic and disability sport, and particularly elite level para sport, on our airwaves.

Recommendation 11 states:

There should be a consistency of messaging across sports regarding acceptable behaviour. National governing bodies should ... [encourage] ... best practice ... on a multisports basis.

This is something I raised in the Seanad previously and it is about integrity in sport. It is something I will raise again. I think we need to look at a sport integrity unit. As the Minister of State knows, the next sport policy will be written next year and perhaps the integrity of sport is something that could be explored, whether that is safeguarding, anti-doping, corruption or match fixing. These are all things that were probably not spoken about when the most recent sport policy was written in 2014 or 2015. It is something that could be looked at.

I will talk about recommendation 12:

There is a need for accountability mechanisms for sporting organisations in receipt of public funds that do not meet high standards of inclusion. Such organisations must adopt robust procedures as part of their governance codes regarding discriminatory or abusive conduct.

There is one thing I want to home in on in that recommendation. It is about equality and inclusion. Again, we have had a lot of conversations about creating equal spaces and spaces that are inclusive for all. One of the most recent is the debate about integration of the GAA. Obviously, we have seen in the past couple of weeks that the process has reached a roadblock. It will be interesting to hear the Minister of State's thoughts about where that is, and whether the steering group is back up and running with a new chair. I will read into the record a statement I thought was powerful from the Mayo Ladies Gaelic Football Association, LGFA. I will not read the full statement because it is very long, but I think it gives a flavour of what has transpired and how people are feeling about it on the ground:

On the eighth of September, Dr Mary McAleese resigned as independent chair of the Steering Group on Integration, after the GAA told the group it could not commit to the 2027 timeline that all three associations voted for in 2022 and confirmed in 2024. She said she was “absolutely devastated”. She said the commitment to integration had “evaporated”.

The GAA’s response was that it is “just not ready”, that the deadline was “too ambitious”, and that its commitment remains “firm and absolute”. Its president has since explained that money was the sticking point before pivoting back to practicality.

[...]

In November 2025 every county in Ireland was instructed by the Steering Group to set up a County Integration Committee: two people from each association, an independent chair, monthly meetings with minutes returned to Croke Park. The terms of reference were broad, covering fixtures, facilities, finance and governance.

In Mayo, no such meeting has taken place in 2026. Not one. No minutes have been returned. As far as we can establish, that is true across this entire province and most of the country.

That is how this was done. Not with a decision. With inaction, without a word.

The statement continues:

Tradition dictates that everything defaults to the GAA and always has. The facilities, the funding, the first pick of dates, the coaches, the supporters, the media routine, the sponsorship, the volunteers, the status. The advantage of a 90-year head start, reinforced by hundreds of millions of euros of public investment, cannot be overcome through goodwill alone.

Institutions built around men develop structures that suit men. These structures are now held up as insurmountable practical constraints. Only two dressing rooms, only one good pitch, the standard of the toilets. We understand entirely how that happened.

But you cannot build something for one half of a community and then point to the state of the building as the reason that the other half must wait to come inside.

[...]

Dr Mary McAleese gave four years to integration and was called offensive for describing what she found. Mary turned on the big light. She did the hard part. The disparity can no longer be treated as something people simply did not know about.

[...]

We're already well into extra time.

Equality is always impractical until it is inevitable. The GAA can lead this change and take pride in it. That means turning its commitment into a timetable people can trust, shared decisions and access that women and girls can rely on.

We love the GAA, and you cannot love something honestly and lie about it at the same time.

These extracts from the statement by Mayo LGFA fit well into this discussion on inclusion in sport and they are something we should probably reflect on. I would be interested in the Minister of State's thoughts on the integration process given that we are talking about inclusion in sport.

I welcome students from Blessington Educate Together National School who are guests of Deputy Jennifer Whitmore. I hope they enjoy their visit.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss this today. I want to talk about something very simple with regard to inclusion in sport. Sometimes we talk about inclusion in terms of strategies, policies, targets and funding programmes. Inclusion is also something as basic as being able to go to the toilet. The joint committee's report on inclusion in sport, published in 2024, made it very clear that facilities are a fundamental part of inclusion. The evidence in the report is quite stark. The FAI told the committee that more than 30% of grassroots clubs do not have toilets or changing facilities designated for female players. The Camogie Association told the committee that female players do not always receive the same recognition and access to facilities as their male counterparts.

When we talk about encouraging girls and women into sport, we have to ask ourselves the very basic question of whether we are actually providing the facilities that tell them they are welcome. Recently I shared a photograph on social media of a helmet and hurl outside a toilet which got something like 150,000 views. In April I attended a division 2 camogie match between Meath and Kerry. Unfortunately Meath lost by a point. On my way in I asked for the toilets and saw a female player run out of the public toilets and onto the field. This was someone at the top of their game. I was advised to go to the referee's toilets as they would be less busy. That toilet is where I saw the helmet and the hurl. I could not believe that another player was in that toilet but, as sure as anything, a Kerry player ran out, picked up her hurl and helmet and ran out onto the field. This might seem like a small thing but I do not think it is. Imagine being a young girl seeing this, as my two children did that day. My children are aged ten and 11. People present to play a sport, ready, for example, to participate in a county final, but when nature calls the facilities available are simply not adequate. This sends a message.

We need to be very careful about the messages we send to young girls because the evidence shows they are already participating in physical activities at lower levels than boys. The committee's report highlighted Sport Ireland's evidence, which shows that just 13% of primary school girls meet the WHO physical activity guidelines compared to 23% of boys. At post-primary level it is 7% compared to 14% of boys. If girls want to stay involved in sport, we have to remove the barriers and not add to them. These barriers are not just about facilities. They include safety, access to training times, a lack of female coaches and leaders, sexist behaviour and language, the impact of caring responsibilities and whether girls see people like themselves represented and valued in sport. I was very blessed to go to the Katie Taylor fight a couple of weeks ago and I was proud to bring my girls. We only have to go and look at something like this to see how men and women can have somebody they can look up to. It was incredible and I do not think I will ever witness an atmosphere like it again.

The report made 17 recommendations, including investment in accessible and fit-for-purpose facilities. There is an important principle here. We cannot call a sporting facility inclusive if the basic facilities are not inclusive. It is no good having a fantastic pitch if there is no appropriate changing room. It is no good encouraging girls into sport if there is no adequate toilet. It is no good telling women they are welcome if the infrastructure tells them otherwise. We have made enormous progress on women's sport in Ireland compared to when I was young and we should recognise this. My two girls play football in one club and camogie in another. They are two brilliant clubs and I have to say they have the very best coaches who give up their time voluntarily and are such amazing advocates for both sports. I love nothing more than watching GAA. Inclusion is not achieved simply because participation numbers improve or because more women are competing at elite level. It is achieved when a young girl can walk into her local club and know the facilities, coaching, environment and culture were designed with her in mind as well. We need to take the recommendations in this report seriously. When Government funding goes into supporting infrastructure, inclusion should not be an optional extra.

I want to point out that two students from my school, St. Joseph's Mercy Secondary School in Navan, County Meath, contributed to the menstruation part of the report and I commend them on this. Accessible facilities, appropriate toilets and changing rooms, safety, transport and equal access should be part of the very basic standard. Ultimately, inclusion in sport should be very simple because if we want every child to have the opportunity to participate, we have to make sure every child can actually participate.

The Minister of State is very welcome to the Chamber and I thank him very much for coming in. I welcome the report. Fianna Fáil is committed to sport for all, ensuring that everyone, regardless of age, gender, background or ability, has the opportunity to participate in sport and physical activity of any kind. I acknowledge the work of the Minister of State with responsibility for sport, Deputy McConalogue, and the significant strides that have been made in participation and investment. We have seen record core funding through Sport Ireland alongside two major capital programmes, namely, the community sports facility fund and the large-scale sports infrastructure fund. Further opportunities are coming under these programmes, with details and application dates to be confirmed shortly. I know the Minister of State will outline some of the significant funding when he responds to the debate.

Sport for all cannot simply be measured by how much money we allocate. It has to be measured by who gets to use the facilities we build and whether the barriers identified in the joint committee's 2024 report are being removed. When I was driving here today I was thinking that a rugby ball does not know the gender of the person passing it, a basketball does not know whether the player bouncing it is standing on two feet or sitting in a wheelchair, and a running track does not care about the colour of someone's skin, how much money they have, who they love, where they were born or what their postcode is. Sport does not exclude people but people can exclude people as can systems. Traditions can even exclude people. This is why when we talk about inclusion in sport we should talk about removing these barriers which, let us be honest, should never have been there in the first place.

The report calls for stronger leadership and accountability on inclusion, better access to facilities and transport, appropriate training for coaches, greater representation of women in leadership and greater visibility for women's sports. These are all very necessary recommendations. There has been progress, with participation at record levels and the gender participation gap narrowing considerably, but participation is only one measure of inclusion. As we have heard today, we can let girl join a club and still give boys the best pitch, we can have a women's team at the highest level and still give them the worst training time or the worst facilities, and we can celebrate our female athletes when they bring home global medals while leaving women outside the rooms where important decisions are made.

This brings me to the recent resignation of former President, Mary McAleese, as independent chair of the steering group on integration of the GAA, the LGFA and Camogie Association, which has already been mentioned. These three associations had committed to full integration by 2027 but Dr. McAleese stepped down after the GAA said it could no longer commit to that definitive timeline. She raised serious concerns about the place of women in decision-making at the highest level of Gaelic games. This was at the committee I sit on with my colleague, Senator Ní Chuilinn. We got the impression quite early on that the GAA was not going to make that deadline. The GAA, of course, has strongly rejected accusations of misogyny and has pointed instead to organisational and financial difficulties but these different positions should be acknowledged. The timetable has slipped at a time when we should be accelerating progress. Equality has to mean something in practice. If we say a women's team is equal, this should be reflected in pitches, training times, funding and resources and, crucially, decision-making at the top table.

The 2024 report also addressed the visibility of women in sport. In 2025, just 18% of national sports news coverage devoted its time to women's sport. Yet, if anybody doubts the audience for women's sport, they should know that more than 80,000 people packed Croke Park only weeks ago for Katie Taylor's final fight, while the RTÉ televised audience peaked at 1.6 million. That is hardly niche at this stage. Of course, Katie Taylor does what Kate Taylor does and she won, ending an extraordinary career as a three times undisputed world champion. There is a huge lesson in that, namely, give women's sport the stage and the coverage and the people will come.

Inclusion cannot simply be shorthand for gender equality alone. Again, the report addresses the barriers experienced by people with disabilities and people from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. In 2024, participation among people with disabilities stood at just 32%, with the socioeconomic participation gap at 19 percentage points. Membership fees, equipment, transport and access to suitable facilities can all determine whether someone plays a sport. Disability inclusion has to mean more than putting a symbol or sticker on a clubhouse door; it needs a hell of a lot more. Can someone actually use the facilities, access appropriate coaching and get to the training? These are the practical tests of inclusion.

As has been outlined, we have made significant progress and invested hugely in Irish sport, something we will hear from the Minister of State in a few moments. The 2024 report gave us a clear set of recommendations. Our task now is to measure what has happened as a result, identify where the barriers remain and keep improving them. Ultimately, sport for all has to mean exactly what it says. As I said, the ball does not care who kicks it, the track does not care who runs on it and the basketball does not care who scores, and neither should we. Our job is to make sure that every single person who wants to play sport is included and allowed to play.

I welcome the Minister of State and the officials from his Department and thank them for coming before the Seanad to discuss this important issue.

I thank the Cathaoirleach and Senators Ní Chuilinn and Harmon for raising this matter. I thank Senators Nelson Murray and Comyn for their contributions. I look forward to the remaining contributions and thank all for taking the time to be here to discuss what is an important topic. I acknowledge the time being given on the floor of the Seanad to ensuring that a report which had a lot of time put into it by a previous Oireachtas committee remains alive and actioned.

It is an opportune time to review the recommendations of the 2024 report on inclusion in sport published by the committee, particularly in light of the preparations under way for a new ten-year national sports policy to run from 2028. The current national sports policy sets out a vision for sport in the country that emphasises a sport for all ethos and which prioritises inclusion in sport and participation for under-represented cohorts. While more work is undoubtedly needed to remove any and all barriers to participation, I am pleased that substantial progress has been made since the inception of the national sports policy in 2017 on the inclusion of women, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, older people and those from disadvantaged communities.

With respect to the inclusion of women in sport, which is identified as a key issue in the report, the national sports policy set a target to eliminate the gender participation gap by the time of the strategy's conclusion in 2027. The Irish Sports Monitor report for 2025 found that active sport participation levels among women is at 46%, an increase of five percentage points from the 2017 baseline. This progress is significant and reflects the substantial work of the sector in this area.

However, it is regrettable that the 2025 monitor also revealed that the gender participation gap has widened slightly, from 3% to 4%. This highlights the continued need for targeted investment and programme design to meet the 2027 target which my Department and Sport Ireland remain committed to delivering. As evidence of that commitment, in July of this year we announced €4 million in funding for the women in sport programme for 2026, which is double the amount allocated in 2022.

Beyond funding, recommendations 13 and 14 of the report rightly point out that visibility is critical to removing barriers to underrepresented groups, including women. For this reason, visibility, alongside active participation and representation in leadership, is a key pillar of Sport Ireland’s women in sport policy. On this front, Sport Ireland launched the first ever study of gender balance in sports media coverage in March of this year. The results of that study highlighted that women’s sport remains significantly underrepresented in the media. I, therefore welcome, the Future of Media Commission’s call for the development of a diversity and inclusion strategy for sports reporting and broadcasting, and I am glad Coimisiún na Meán is also currently in the process of developing a sports strategy in consultation with Sport Ireland.

Achieving genuine gender balance in sports media requires a system-wide approach where we challenge deeply ingrained and outdated perceptions. The lack of viewership of women's sports is often used to justify low coverage but studies have shown that promoted properly, they can attract significant audiences. Senator Comyn outlined the most clear recent example of that with the wonderful national attention and record audience we saw for Katie Taylor's career finale in Croke Park. It was a wonderful tribute to her career and an appropriate way for her to finish her career. She was a trailblazer once again for women in sport. We should all take encouragement from the viewership of 1.6 million the audience reached that night, greater than the peak viewership of the 2026 World Cup and the all-Ireland hurling finals. This highlights the eagerness of the Irish people to support their female athletes and the appetite that exists for appropriate and extensive media coverage of women’s sport. As such, I would like to emphasise that a more balanced media landscape in sport represents an opportunity for broadcasters, not sacrifice.

Gender equality across sport is a Government priority and, while not directly involved in the process, we are very supportive of the integration of the three associations within a unified single structure for Gaelic games. While the precise roadmap for integration is a matter for the GAA, the LGFA and the Camogie Association and their memberships, I urge all parties to commit to a clear and defined process and timeframe for integration. In this regard, the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, and I have written to the associations and have asked them to provide quarterly updates to Sport Ireland on progress. I understand they are working towards the appointment of a new chairperson on 5 October.

Disability inclusion in sport represents another key area of priority for my Department and is identified as a critical issue in the committee's report. It is worth noting that Sport Ireland launched its statement of commitment to and action on disability inclusion in sport in November 2024, after the report was published. In addition, I was pleased that increased funding provided to sport in budget 2025 enabled Sport Ireland to establish a dedicated disability in sport funding stream and to appoint a disability in sport lead. This role has the potential to be transformational, and we are already seeing the benefits of having a lead to co-ordinate with national governing bodies, local sports partnerships and other sporting bodies to develop and promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in sport.

The most recent Irish Sports Monitor revealed that participation among people with disabilities reached a record high of 34% in 2025 and the gap between people with and without disabilities narrowed to 19 percentage points, compared with 22 points in 2024. These findings point to the progress that has been made. However, it is very clear that the participation gap remains too high. I would like to assure Senators that my Department and Sport Ireland remain committed to making this gap a thing of the past.

Likewise, with regard to visibility for people with disabilities in sport, which is highlighted in recommendation 14 of the report, it is worth noting that the first ever disability in sport week hosted by Sport Ireland took place in December 2025. The events over the week highlighted the achievements of athletes with disabilities and showcased inclusive programmes, local champions and inspiring athletes under the five pillars of the Sport Ireland disability in sport policy. The 2026 event of this kind will take place from 1 to 7 December, and it is envisaged that it will take place annually to coincide with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Events like these have the potential to serve as catalysts for making our sporting community more inclusive. They provide critical opportunities to strengthen partnerships and highlight best practice in order that every person with a disability can step into a club, a pool, a pitch or a gym and feel that it is a place for them.

Additionally, with respect to the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community, the report suggested a number of recommendations. Among these was the need for guidance regarding transgender and non-binary inclusion in sport and physical activity, expressed in key recommendation 17. Sport Ireland has since published a guidance document in this area following detailed stakeholder consultation. Sport Ireland has also delivered in-person and online workshops to enable the national governing bodies to research, design and publish their own policies on transgender and non-binary inclusion in their sports.

In line with recommendation 14 of the report on the visibility of sport for the LGBTQ+ community, Sport Ireland also conducts its Let’s Get Visible campaign on an annual basis to coincide with Pride month. The campaign seeks to highlight the sporting achievements of LGBTQ+ people and acknowledge the importance of their visibility and representation in the sports sector. Under recommendation 15, the committee’s report also advised that support be given to the growth of LGBTQ+ orientated sports clubs. On this front, I am pleased to report that in 2025, Sport Ireland supported Clare Sports Partnership and Sporting Pride to pilot and implement a bespoke LGBTQ+ advocates training programme for other local sports partnerships, national governing bodies and sports clubs. The programme provides direct support to existing clubs to become more inclusive towards the LGBTQ+ community or to develop their own dedicated LGBTQ+ sports club. While more work is needed to eliminate the participation gap between LGBTQ+ persons and heterosexual persons, which currently stands at 4%, I am nonetheless pleased that progress is being made in the sector.

In particular, I would like to report that in October last year, Sport Ireland published its Spotlight on Participation in Sport report, which showed sports participation by members of the LGBTQ+ community has increased by 9% since 2021 from 49% to 58%. This indicates a very positive momentum that I am keen to build on in order that members of the LGBTQ+ community have the same opportunity to enjoy the benefits of sport.

The committee’s report also makes a couple of recommendations with regard to the hosting of major events. Recommendation 3 of the report notes that inclusion of sport dividends ought to be considered when assessing proposals for hosting such events. I acknowledge that a significant potential benefit of hosting major international sporting events is that they can encourage active participation and inclusivity in the particular sport. For example, data from the United States revealed a record surge in soccer participation, including among women and ethnic minorities, before and during their hosting of the World Cup in the summer. As such, a key consideration in my Department’s assessment and evaluation of events, as well as in determining which major international sporting events should be supported, is the social inclusion legacy that the event can deliver. This includes the extent to which the event can increase participation and ensure that people of all ages and backgrounds have opportunities to participate and engage in the sport.

Another key part of the assessment process is understanding the social benefits to the local community. Social inclusion will continue to be a key factor in determining which events the Government supports and will be an important consideration in the context of the further development of the major international sports events strategy framework. Therefore, I can say that any proposal to host a major international LGBTQ+ event as recommended in the report under recommendation 16 would be considered in this context.

Beyond this, recommendations 7 through 9 of the report speak to the need for appropriate training to be delivered throughout the sports sector in the area of inclusion. As I am sure Senators will agree, volunteers and coaches are the backbone of the sports sector in Ireland and as such, an inclusive environment depends on supporting them with the necessary training and resources. To this point, in 2024 Sport Ireland made equality, diversity and inclusion, EDI, and anti-racism workshops available to over 60 national governing bodies of sport, 29 local sports partnerships and a number of other recognised bodies in the sector. In addition to this provision, in 2025, €2 million was awarded to national governing bodies and local sports partnerships as part of dormant accounts funding via the equality, diversity and inclusion fund. This supports projects, including relevant training, to remove barriers to participation in sport for individuals from diverse and under-represented communities.

Likewise, the need to deliver training for the coaching of women and girls in sport, which was identified in recommendation 8 of the report, is something that Sport Ireland remains committed to. Sport Ireland coaching provides workshops on coaching teenage girls and has equipped more than 1,000 coaches across the country with the tools to build confidence and encourage the long-term involvement of women in sport. My Department will continue to support our volunteers and coaches to facilitate inclusive sport, and I welcome the work that Sport Ireland is doing in this regard.

As I conclude my statement, I reiterate my Department’s commitment to promoting an inclusive sporting environment where everyone has the opportunity to reap the benefits of sport. Notwithstanding the continual need for improvement, I trust Senators will agree that the landscape of sport is in a much more inclusive place today than it was when the national sports policy was launched in 2017. Our investment in the women in sport programme, the establishment of a dedicated disability in sport lead and disability in sport funding stream, as well as the equality, diversity, and inclusion fund via dormant accounts funding, to name but a few, are contributing to the growth in participation for under-represented groups and the erosion of long-established participation gaps. More broadly, the increased funding allocated to sport in budget 2026, which was more than double the amount allocated in 2018, points to the Government’s continued commitment to investing in sport. The return on that investment in terms of community participation, inclusion, and physical and mental well-being is, I believe and I think we would all agree, substantial.

I remain steadfast in my work to remove barriers to participation and any recommendations of the committee’s report that have not yet received direct engagement can and will be considered during the consultation process for the new national sports policy. It is absolutely essential we utilise that new policy to set the direction to build on the continued progress we have seen over the last ten years. Much has been achieved but there is still a long, substantial and important road to travel. We need to make sure the next ten years sees as much progress and, indeed, more progress as we have seen over the last ten years.

The work of the Oireachtas committee in 2024 deserves our significant thanks. It is no small undertaking for a committee to put time and effort into putting a report like this together. It is a significant commitment of their time and their resources, which are limited. I think it emphasises the importance the committee gives to this particular issue. I think the decision and motion here today to bring it back to the floor of the Seanad for this discussion reflect the importance of that time and effort that was put in and the fact that we need to make sure it delivers results and contributes significantly to the journey we are all travelling.

I commend the joint committee on all the work that went into this report. It really was extensive and is very well done. I especially commend my colleagues, Senators Ní Chuilinn and Harmon, for their fantastic work. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the report, Inclusion in Sport. I love its central message that being told you are welcome means very little if you cannot get a facility, afford to take part, find a coach who understands your needs or secure a place to play. That is where a lot of the barriers come from.

The report has 17 recommendations but I particularly welcome its call for accessible, fit-for-purpose facilities, with funding that looks at the whole project. As the report points out, there is little sense in funding accessible sports equipment while refusing funding for accessible toilets needed at the same venue. It also calls for better transport, support for volunteers and coaches and greater visibility for women's and disability sport. The recommendations deserve the action now and I welcome the Minister of State's comments that this report will form part of the new sport policy. It is so important that this does not end up as another report that draws dust on the shelf.

In Laois, we can see what happens when people are given a genuine chance to participate. This summer, the first Laois Inclusion Games brought together more than 330 athletes and participants across 15 sports.

The games grew from the work of the vision impaired and physical disability hub and the Laois Sports Partnership, with families, clubs and volunteers all playing their part. It was fantastic. It is something that our county is so proud of. It shows that the demand is there when we create the opportunity. However, a successful weekend must lead to lasting opportunities for these people. Athletes need somewhere accessible to train and that is something that we do not have. They need to be able to compete throughout the year like other athletes.

This leads me onto my next point. The next recommendation is of particular importance in Laois, namely, the recommendation on facilities. I will speak about our young soccer players. The Old Fort Celtic club in Portlaoise has grown from one senior team to five teams at present. Its people want to give more to young players, including young girls and give them a place in club, but the lack of a reliable pitch is holding them back year in, year out. The club uses facilities in Portlaoise leisure centre when it can but bookings are limited and cannot always be guaranteed. Its volunteers should be spending their energy developing the club instead of constantly trying to find somewhere to play. There is a grass soccer pitch at the leisure centre that has been out of use for more than six years. A proposal has now been raised locally for a suitable perimeter fence in order that the pitch can be brought back into use. It just seems that there is one block after another. Meanwhile, Portlaoise clubs are travelling outside of the town for home games. I want to see that pitch restored. I want clubs like the Old Fort Celtic to have proper dependable places to play as they grow. This is why the next community sport facilities fund round is so important.

Laois has a growing population and clubs with real ambition. Previous local applications have always been unsuccessful. We need sports facilities. We have a growing population. We have St. Mary's Hall; a hall that is absolutely on its knees. We have no big sports facility for the number of youngsters and all-inclusion sports there at all. The pitches need regeneration. We are going to be putting in applications when the applications open on Monday. I ask the Minister of State to ensure that Laois gets its fair share and that applications are judged with the needs of growing communities and the barriers to participation firmly in mind. Clubs are being encouraged to prepare for the next round now. They need to have fair opportunities to turn those plans into pitches and facilities that people can use.

I will leave the best to last. I wish to speak about girls and women in sport. It is great to see so much of that in there. It is so important. It clearly records the stereotypes that girls face and recommends better training for coaches and physical educators on issues affecting women's participation in sport. I really hope the Minister of State will pay particular attention to all these issues. It calls for women's sports to be broadcast on an equal basis with men's sport, which is so important. These issues shape whether a girl feels sport is for her or whether she stays involved. Last year in this Chamber, I brought Laois camogie players with me. We cannot forget that the camogie players had to protest last year for their fight to wear shorts instead of a skort. The rule was changed after the players made themselves heard. This may have seemed like a practical issue to a lot of people, but it said something much bigger. We must listen to the women and girls who play our sports. In fairness, in this report, it really does have the lived experiences and the voices of the women and girls. As the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association work towards integration, equality has to be visible in everyday decisions from playing kits and pitches to leadership and resources. The people running our clubs, the volunteers behind the inclusion games and the players asking for change have already shown what is possible. Now, Government funding must back them with facilities, funding and decisions that allow everyone to take part. Inclusion should be simply how we do sport all the time.

We cannot talk about women in sport and forget the women who led the way in sport. I am talking about Katie Taylor. She did not just become Ireland's greatest sports person of all time; she changed how this country and people across the world look at women's sports. While Katie Taylor filled stadiums and inspired generations of young girls, Katie should not be the exception. Every young girl, whether she dreams of becoming a world champion or simply just wants to play with her local club, deserves the very same opportunities as the young boys.

I thank the Senator. I gave her a bit of leniency there seeing as she was talking about a great Wicklow woman. Senator Ahearn has six minutes.

I thank the Minister of State for being here. I thank Senators Ní Chuilinn and Harmon for bringing forward this opportunity to speak on the report that was done by the sports committee two years ago. A lot of people have mentioned that the committee did an incredible amount of work. It is important to remember that was also the committee that was dealing with other issues as well, such as RTÉ and other things, at the time. To find the time to do that report and do it with a lot of detail and work has to be commended.

Everyone is unified in this position in terms of inclusion and bringing more people into sport. I often think about it. When I was younger and I think of the female sports athlete that I looked up to at the time, Sonia O'Sullivan was the obvious one when I was young looking at the Olympics. She was an inspiration to the whole nation. If we are honest with ourselves and we look at who we look up to now in sport in Ireland and who are the people who can inspire a nation, the majority of them are female sports athletes. Everyone talks about Katie Taylor. That was a phenomenal event in Dublin that night for her farewell. The Irish soccer team next month has an incredible opportunity and massive match in Cork against Kazakhstan to qualify for another World Cup. I am sure that is going to be an absolute sell out in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. We all wish them well in that in a couple of weeks.

In athletics, we have Sharlene Mawdsley from Tipperary. We have Rhasidat Adeleke. In swimming, we have Mona McSharry. In GAA, I have been at the past couple of camogie finals, which is a brilliant day for the family. I think Senator Ní Chuilinn was there as well this year at the Cork versus Galway final. That was an incredible game. Last year was an incredible game as well. I was watching Sorcha McCartan and some of the points she got that day are better than any points I have ever seen in Croke Park or any other stadium. She is a phenomenal player and inspiration to people. That is all good and it is positive. It is so important that people have individuals like that who achieve great success and who they can look up to. However, what we need to do is for people to be able to see that on the ground as well at small clubs and local level where they can look up to people in their own community and own village. It is not necessarily the Sorcha McCartans, the Rachael Blackmores or people like that but people in their own community who achieve greatness, whether that is a county final or playing at intercounty levels.

Even though we have done an awful lot on inclusion, there is more we can do at that level. When I speak to friends at home and parents, there is such a want for their kids to be involved in sport because sport is good from a health perspective and fitness perspective, but there is a social element as well. Parents always naturally worry about their kids at certain ages and wonder if they will have friends, will they be included in a community or will they be part of a community of their own age group. Sport plays a leading role in that. It is so important, whether you are a boy or a girl, to have that opportunity to be in sports. The real important thing is that children at that age are treated similarly. If my two boys are playing sport in Tipperary, they should have the same facilities and the same treatment as Senator Scahill's two girls in Roscommon. There should be no difference in how they are treated or in terms of facilities. If we are being honest with ourselves, that is not always the case in all sports. We need to improve on that. That is why it is welcomed that we have the announcement of the sports capital grant applications opening on Monday. In previous applications, there has been a requirement in terms of inclusiveness and women's participation in sport. I hope that continues - I have no doubt that it will - but that it is even reinforced more and that it is not just a box-ticking exercise where a club can just say that it is doing something here or there, but that it is real inclusion and real equality in terms of treating people in sport.

There also is the critically element in respect of people with disabilities and people from the LGBT community.

An awful lot has been done there as well. Sport can play a big role in inclusiveness within communities. As I said at the start, we have seen the success of some of our athletes at international level in competitions right across the world. We need to build on that from the ground up. This report will play a key role in delivering that. We can be happy with some of the things we have achieved. I know the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, are committed to continuing that and to delivering on this report. I am sure that many Members will continue to support the Minister of State and the Minister to ensure the continued success of inclusion in sport.

The Minister of State is welcome. I too acknowledge Senators Ní Chuilinn and Harmon for bringing this motion before the House today. It is very timely. It is a very important issue to raise. All of the Oireachtas committees always do great work. The publication of reports with recommendations is really at the core of the work we do in this House. It is where we do not have the theatrics of the Chambers or the influence of social media. It is where people sit down to discuss the issues and see what recommendations they can collectively come up with that will improve facilities and the experience of the next generations. I acknowledge that.

At the same time, I will acknowledge how far we have come. I still do not consider myself that old but, when I am standing on the side of a soccer or GAA pitch with kids, I look at the facilities we have throughout this country and at the investment that has been made. The strides made in the past 20 years have been unbelievable. It is money well spent. Every penny that is spent in the area of sport, inclusion and accessibility saves a significant amount on the other side, the health spend in the country. We have to acknowledge that.

When I think of inclusion in sport, I am always brought back to Lisnamult community park in Roscommon. It is a community that finds a solution to any problem that is put in front of it. When the new sports hub was opened there, it was one of the first to include a fully wheelchair-accessible Changing Places toilet. If the Minister is ever down in Roscommon, something I will get to in a moment, he should go and see it because it is a blueprint all community facilities should follow as regards accessible toilets. It has a ceiling hoist, height-adjustable changing benches for adults and children, and the usual features to be found in accessible toilets.

Those involved foresaw the issues based on the needs presented by the people who were using the outdoor facilities. Funding was recently awarded for an outdoor basketball and hockey court. They realised that, since we live in Ireland, outdoor facilities are not always accessible for use by everybody on a regular basis. Given the Special Olympics teams that use the facilities, they realised an overhead cover for this outdoor court would be needed. While it is open on the sides and the fresh air is able to get through, it is a covered outdoor court. They are currently in the process of building an athletics track. It is hoped this will mean that the figure of nine members representing Roscommon in the Ireland summer games this year will be doubled for the next games. It is worth pointing out that Roscommon represented Ireland in European swimming championships recently. There were four athletes from Roscommon. It was the only team in the country to participate in those European swimming championships. We are giving people opportunities to participate in sport that were never there before.

Previous speakers have mentioned issues of inclusion within the GAA. Last Saturday morning, I was in the centre of excellence in Bekan, just outside Knock and Ballyhaunis. There were 82 under-10s girls teams invited to participate in the final blitz of the year. Unfortunately, only 78 of them showed up but just imagine the logistics of trying to organise and facilitate a blitz of games for 78 teams from Galway, Roscommon, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim. What an experience and what a day it was. For those young girls, experiencing the world-class facilities at the Connacht centre of excellence in Bekan will have them enthused and excited to go back next year when the season starts again.

Members have mentioned Katie Taylor. We know that some 1.6 million people watched. I think it is the largest television audience Westlife has ever had. We were watching because we had a true Irish icon of sport, Katie Taylor, in her final fight in the GAA headquarters, Croke Park. What an experience it was. We will all remember where we were for it. That should be the benchmark for televising female sport, something the report mentions.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the European elite boxing championships taking place in Sofia at the moment. Two ladies from Castlerea, County Roscommon, Lisa and Aoife O'Rourke, are participating. Lisa is in the 85 kg final tonight and Aoife is in the 75kg final tomorrow. No matter what happens, those ladies will be welcomed back to Roscommon and Castlerea based on their performance and honesty in the ring. If they were to stop tomorrow morning, the number of young kids they have newly introduced to sport would still be something to be commended.

The only reason I have not mentioned the Castlerea swimming pool, which the Minister of State is very familiar with, until now is because I did not want to get people excited to know that he goes swimming there once in a while. Funding was recently accessed for water-pressure powered lifts to enable wheelchair access, allowing people to avail of those facilities.

If we are to take anything from this report, it is that we need to continue with such investment. We need to strive for better. We need to take best practice examples like the Changing Places toilet in the Lisnamult sports facility and ensure that every facility has the same. We must ensure that every little girl has access to every facility her male counterparts are entitled to access. Anybody who has a disability must also have access. Inclusion is a key criterion in the community sports facility fund that is to be opened. Let us consider that another element of enacting this report. I wish the Minister of State well with that.

Before I bring in Senator O'Donovan, I welcome our visitors from Kilmacud Men's Shed, who are guests of Deputy Shay Brennan. I hope they are enjoying their visit.

I will just take a couple of minutes, not the full six minutes. I am delighted for the Minister of State to be here and I am delighted to take part in this debate. On two Saturdays during the summer just gone, I visited Sailability Kinsale with local councillor, Marie O'Sullivan. What an experience I had on those Saturdays. Sailability Kinsale is a volunteer-led organisation working in conjunction with Kinsale Yacht Club. It takes people with disabilities out on the water every Saturday morning for 20 weeks. It would do you good to go down there and see the smiles on people's faces on those Saturday mornings and the positivity it brings to people's lives. Seán from Clonakilty was involved in a very serious road traffic collision, which had horrible effects. His mobility, speech and much more were affected. When he spoke to us last Saturday, he told us that this gives him a reason to get up in the morning. There is also the Cork Sports Partnership in Kinsale and the yacht club I have mentioned. Donal and Bernadette are the volunteers who lead the programme. Sport Ireland is involved. This is a template that can be rolled out across the country as to how an volunteer-led organisation can be put in place. It comes down to funding, however.

I have heard Members here mention funding. We have the sports funding that is to be announced in the coming weeks but there is potential for a separate pot of funding for disability inclusion within sport. A specific funding stream is needed at Department level.

There is a ten-year policy being developed for sport but there is a real need for a specific level of funding for the things that we take for granted, such as changing rooms and facilities that people need, that can be the barriers to inclusion in sport. It comes down to funding, as we well know. I am thinking of the smiles on the faces of the people who are taking part in these events. We have a duty of care and a need within these Houses to ensure the policy and correct supports are in place for the sporting organisations as well as, ultimately, the funding.

I thank the volunteers. I cannot remember the name of the lady who spoke from Sport Ireland last Saturday, but she had reason to meet former President Robinson last week. On the volunteer-led ethos of these organisations, there is a sense of good when you volunteer within your community, but we have a duty to volunteer. Those were the clear, straight words from former President Robinson.

I thank the Minister of State for being here. It is an important debate. I look forward to policies with more inclusion but, ultimately, funding and separate funding streams.

Before Senator Kelleher speaks, I welcome a guest of Senator Tom Clonan, Sophia Mulvany.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an rún seo. Gabhaim buíochas leis na Seanadóirí Ní Chuilinn agus Harmon as ucht é a thabhairt isteach ós rud é gur ábhar thar a bheith tábhachtach é.

As a lifelong sports fan and participant, sport has given me an awful lot throughout the course of my life. It teaches a lot of life skills, regardless of whether those who enter into sport participate at an elite or high performance level or at a level where participation is more important.

The focus on increasing participation and inclusion in sport is vital and I very much welcome the motion before us today. As a father of four children, two boys and two girls, who are young and participate in sport, I would like to see the opportunities afforded all four of my children and to everybody else's children afforded equally regardless of gender.

Without doubt, and not dissimilar to the political arena, sport has been too male-dominated historically, and the more progress we can see towards change and equality in that regard has to be welcomed, be it in politics, sport or other areas of interest that are dominated by one gender over another.

I wrote my thesis on the participation of women in elections in Ireland, comparing success rates of men versus women across five general elections. The progress we have seen, particularly since the introduction of gender quotas in politics from the 2016 general election onwards, is to be welcomed. I am proud that the Seanad sits in this Chamber with 34 men and 25 women - we have a vacancy at present. We have not quite reached equality yet.

One of the key points in the report, point 6, concerning the emphasis that needs to be put on including women in leadership positions at organisational level in sport, is very important. As a man, I have to stand up here and say that, in sport, politics and other areas of society, there has been an element of misogyny over the years. As long as that fact is accepted and addressed, we are certainly moving in the right direction. If I can single out my colleague, Senator Ní Chuilinn, in particular, since she has got involved in politics and become a representative, her voice in the Seanad Chamber has been loud in regard to the area of equality, going beyond sport but especially focusing on sports and how we can improve sports at an organisational level.

Visibility, which is point 13 in the report, is a key one that needs to be addressed in order that there is an aspiration to have public service media broadcasting women's sport and men's sport on a par with each other and that there would be an emphasis on disability sports not being restricted to the Paralympic Games. I was fortunate to have attended the International Mixed Ability Rugby Tournament, IMART, in Cork in 2022 that was hosted by the Sunday's Well club in Cork. I commend the Sunday's Well club on the massive achievement in the organisation that went into that and hosting teams from a number of different countries. The participation of people with various disabilities in a sport, that being the centre of attention of a community and their getting to play in Musgrave Park was something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives, but we should not be over-reliant on volunteers progressing initiatives in that regard. That is something we, as political representatives and leaders in our communities, should look to help and encourage wherever possible.

On point 14, regarding athletes from marginalised communities, the push to have greater promotion, inclusion and participation is key. We all remember, a little over 30 years ago at this stage, when the boxer, Francie Barrett, was the flag-bearer for the Irish Olympic team at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, but we need something beyond tokenism. We need to see a genuine commitment to including those from marginalised backgrounds. The phrase "can't see, can't be" is used frequently when we refer to promoting women's sport. In my community in Ballincollig, we had a two-time world champion rower, Sanita Pušpure, who in my view did not get the credit or recognition she deserved, but the work she put in to dedicating herself to her chosen sport and reaching the elite level at the top of the world is something we need to encourage. As I said at the outset, however, the encouragement of participation of women, girls and people from marginalised backgrounds in communities at all levels is something that needs to be at forefront of our minds.

I commend Senators Ní Chuilinn and Harmon on bringing the motion to the House.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for being here for this important topic. I thank Senators Ní Chuilinn and Harmon for leading this Private Members' motion.

The more inclusive we make sport, the better it is for society, for community, for mental health, and for each and every one of us. From my point of view and my experience as a public representative, I have seen the power of sport and how it can bring people together and unite communities, families and people from different backgrounds, and while we have come some way, we have a long way to go.

Investment in capital infrastructure to help those less able who require specialised facilities to participate in sport is an important issue that needs attention and consideration, specifically proper changing facilities. These offer incredible dignity to children who are wheelchair users and their families, and to any person who is a wheelchair user. I single out a football club in Mayo that has the only changing facilities in the county so far, Manulla FC. They have done brilliant work in making their football club and using the grounds and the assets they have benefit all of their community. They have autism-friendly initiatives, they have a "Cubbie" sensory space but, practically and most importantly, they have a changing places unit. I have met many parents of children and young people who are wheelchair users and the changing places offers them life-changing opportunities in being able to have dignity while enjoying activity and sport in their local community.

There is a map of changing places facilities across the UK. The map of changing places facilities we have in Ireland is embarrassing in certain parts. Across all Government Departments, there should be some initiative to try to realise them and do more to incentivise community groups because it is such a vital thing.

When it comes to women in sport, great strides have been made in certain ways. However, increased emphasis is needed to support women in sport. The work of both Senators who have brought forward this motion needs to be supported by us all.

There is also the multigenerational approach to sport. Sport is not just for one age demographic. Walking football, for example, has become more popular recently. It engages a less active community and helps them to maintain a level of activity. Padel is also becoming a multigenerational sport. It is popping up in every town and village. Such initiatives, which are accessible and inclusive for all ages and abilities, are powerful. As I said at the outset, they can lead to a marked improvement in our physical and mental health, community-building and the development and growth of friendships.

I compliment the work of the Government and multiple Departments. We can always continue to do more. An emphasis on changing places facilities for those who are most vulnerable and most in need of help and dignity can be powerful in ensuring we are inclusive for all abilities and ages.

I call Senator Ní Chuilinn to reply. She has five minutes.

I will not need five minutes. I do not think I have ever stood here before and said that I echo every single word that every Senator has said during the course of a debate, so I thank them all very much. I appreciate the effort everyone made to be here. Senator Harmon and I were clear that we did not want this report to sit on a shelf. We were not on the sport committee when this report was completed. I commend the previous committee on sport on the work it put into this because there was a lot of stakeholder engagement and it is an important issue.

I have learned two encouraging things from listening today. First, we are all on the same page. Everyone here, along with every community and county, has a story about what is working well and where we are seeing the dividends of investment where people are getting greater access to sport and physical activity, whether that is people from the LGBTQI+ community, people with disabilities or women. Women are still in the minority in the sport world, and we must acknowledge that. We have made enormous strides, however. As someone who has spent 25-odd years in the sport sector as a professional, I can tell the House that it is utterly different from what it was 20 or 25 years ago. That is positive and it is down to a lot of the investment the Minister of State mentioned regarding women in sport.

I am encouraged to hear about the disability in sport lead appointed in Sport Ireland and Sport Disability Week that took place last December. We look forward to the 2026 week. I am sure many Senators will be able to visit some of the events happening during that week.

Senator Mark Duffy mentioned how inclusion in sport encourages social inclusion, which really rings true. It encourages people to feel welcome. That is what this report is all about. All 17 recommendations are trying to get to the point where people see themselves reflected in policy and see a place that is welcoming for them to take part in sport.

The Minister of State mentioned the next national sport policy. Obviously, it is going to be an important document. The first national sport policy is coming to its end. It was the first policy of its kind, and it was transformative for the industry. It put funding on a solid footing and brought about greater investment in infrastructure. There is a lot of planning in that regard. All bar five of the 47 actions in that national sport policy have had progress, so it is important. It means the next iteration is going to be even more important because the sporting landscape is completely different compared to 2016 before the 2017 sport policy was put in place. I welcome the engagement on the next national sport policy. It would be useful to have many of these recommendations looked at ahead of the consultation process for the next national sport policy, which I am sure the Minister of State’s Department will engage in.

The Minister of State also mentioned sporting volunteers. Volunteers were not mentioned much today because we were talking about inclusion, but volunteers are everywhere, be it in inclusion sport or equality. Every sport in this country would grind to a halt without the volunteers on the ground. There is a need for continued and increased support for volunteers, such as training around autism or the LGBTQI+ community, in order to ensure volunteers feel supported in their roles. Basically, without volunteers, sport in this country would fall apart. I acknowledge those volunteers.

I thank all those who have contributed to this debate today. I thank the Minister of State for giving so much of his time. It is much appreciated. I wish to keep this issue on the agenda. The best way to achieve that is to have another discussion in a few months’ time about the next national sport policy. Gabhaim buíochas le gach duine ar fad.