Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 March 2026
192. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the efforts his Department are making to support wider diversity and participation in sport from underrepresented groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16798/26]
View answerThis Government is committed to a "Sport for All" approach aimed at ensuring that all persons can partake equally in sport and physical activity, regardless of gender, age, social-economic status, disability, or membership of minority groups such as the LGBTI+ community, the Traveller community or other ethnic minorities. This commitment is reaffirmed in the Programme for Government.
Sport Ireland's network of Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) plays a crucial role in implementing the National Sports Policy and increasing participation levels in sport and physical activity particularly in underrepresented groups. The LSPs deliver targeted programmes to a range of cohorts including ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, the unemployed, and those living in disadvantaged communities.
Sport Ireland announced a record €33.36 million in core funding for National Governing Bodies of Sport, Local Sports Partnerships and other funded sports bodies on 21 January 2026.
The LSP network was allocated €12.66 million which represents an increase of 5.9% compared to 2025. This funding is supplemented by additional investment from other funding streams, including Dormant Account Funding (DAF) and the European Social Fund Programme.
€500,000 was allocated to LSPs through the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion fund as part of DAF in 2025. The Fund supports LSPs to deliver projects that remove barriers to participation in sport and physical activity for individuals from diverse and underrepresented communities.
Sport Ireland has successfully applied to the European Social Fund (ESF+) Programme 2021-2027 and has been awarded €11 million for implementation of a social innovation and inclusion programme over the lifetime of the Programme. The ESF+ funding has enabled Sport Ireland to establish the Sport4Empowerment (S4E) Programme which aims to use sport and physical activity as tool for social inclusion and empowerment. S4E targets four population cohorts, in the form of youth at risk, ethnic minorities, persons living with disabilities and those from a disadvantaged backgrounds.
As Minister for Sport, I will continue to promote sport to all cohorts and work to remove barriers to participation.
