2026-01-20

138. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the initiatives his Department is undertaking to ensure that people with disabilities have equal opportunity to participate in sport. [3713/26]

Question No. 138 will be introduced by Deputy O'Meara.

Access to sport is not a luxury, it is a right. Participation in sport delivers profound physical and mental health benefits, builds confidence, reduces isolation and strengthens community connection for people of all ages and abilities. For people with disabilities, inclusive access to sport can be life-changing, yet too many still face practical and financial barriers to participation. What efforts is the Minister undertaking to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in sport?

I thought it was the next question, which is in the Deputy's name. I thank Deputy O'Meara very much for raising the matter this evening. We both know that inclusion and diversity in sport are key priorities for this Government. Despite recent progress, there is an enduring participation gap between persons with either a long-term illness or a disability and those without an illness or a disability. The Irish Sports Monitor survey reports that this participation gap stands at 32%, which is quite large. It is clear that more work needs to be done to make this participation gap a thing of the past. Increased funding of €1 million was allocated in budget 2025 to establish a new and dedicated disability in sport funding stream. Sport Ireland appointed a disability in sport lead in February of last year who is now collaborating with national governing bodies, local sports partnerships and other funded organisations to develop programmes to promote accessibility and participation for individuals with disabilities. To highlight this progress, the first-ever Sport Ireland disability in sport week took place in December 2025. The theme was Celebrating Ability or Ag Ceiliúradh Cumas. Sport Ireland worked with a wide range of stakeholders to promote progress made under the five pillars of its disability inclusion in sport policy: leadership, capacity, communication, change and access. In addition, Sport Ireland allocates €1.2 million at local level on behalf of the Government to fund a national network of sports inclusion disability officers aligned to each of the 29 local sports partnerships. Sport Ireland allocates €2.4 million in support of disability sport-focused national governing bodies to continue their work in this area. Capital support for the development of sports facilities and infrastructure is provided through my Department’s community sports facilities fund and the large-scale sport infrastructure fund. Both funds include specific criteria encouraging applications that improve accessibility and inclusion.

I acknowledge the positive work already under way. The sports capital programme has prioritised accessibility and universal design. Dormant accounts funding has supported disability-specific initiatives and training. Through local sports partnerships, Sport Ireland continues to play a key role in promoting inclusive support at community level. In my constituency, which comprises north Tipperary and north-west Kilkenny, there is strong goodwill among clubs, volunteers and families to expand inclusive sporting opportunities. However, many local groups point to ongoing challenges with access to adaptive equipment, suitable facilities, trained coaches and volunteers, and the sustainability of inclusive programmes at grassroots level. The Minister pointed out the reason behind this question, the participation gap of over 30%. If we are working towards an Ireland for all, something our party has championed for many years, we have to continue to focus on this area within the Minister's Department.

The Deputy is right to focus on it. We have seen progress on the participation of those with a disability in sport but the gap has not narrowed because participation has also increased among the general adult and child populations, for which we can be thankful. The gap has remained, however. It is a particular focus for the Government. We are going to look to see how we can address that gap further because it is simply not acceptable that people who have a disability or illness are not being given the opportunity to participate in sport in the same way as others. We are particularly focused on that. Over the last ten years, we have made great progress on the gap between genders, between women and men. That has now almost closed. Sport Ireland appointed a lead for women in sport, which made a significant impact. We have now done the same for disabilities and I think that will also make an impact. We must all work with those clubs and sporting organisations that are doing really strong work to address this gap. It is very important that people have the opportunity to participate in sport in their local community, regardless of their ability or disability.

A lot of the local clubs I have spoken to are very interested in getting more supports, more funding and more training for their coaches. I think about cases where a child in a family is involved in sport, for example, a soccer club, and there is also a child in the family with some form of disability. If the parents in that family are involved in the club, they will obviously want both of their children, or however many children they have, to have the same chance to be full active participants to the best of their ability. Ballymackey FC, for which I played when under age, has a fantastic football for all initiative. It is absolutely brilliant. It is one of the strongest I have ever seen. It is a strong and growing club. The model of clubs like Ballymackey needs to be brought into other clubs. We need to get coaches in to get them trained to give every single child and adult, regardless of ability, the full opportunity to participate in sport.

I strongly support my colleague Deputy O'Meara on this. The Oireachtas committee on sport has considered this as a serious issue. When the Minister of State looks to the next round of sports capital funding, we urge him to include this as a factor in deciding on funding. One of our local soccer clubs, Courtown Hibs, runs very inclusive soccer training for children and young people who are neurodivergent or who have physical disabilities or special needs. On the first Saturday of every month, Gorey parkrun runs a particularly inclusive parkrun event, inviting people from Advocates for Autism, Special Olympics Ireland and other groups to take part. It is a model that has been followed by other parkrun organisers. In decisions being made on the next round of sports capital funding, those clubs and organisations that have an inclusive approach at their heart should be recognised.

It is absolutely necessary that we have this focus. That focus means resources to ensure all children can involve themselves in sport, particularly those who will have greater challenges. High Five is a programme run for children, particularly those with autism, in boxing clubs. My own local club, Clann Naofa, has such a programme ongoing. We have all seen the all-stars programmes run by the GAA. I am talking in particular about Dundalk Gaels, St. Bride's and Cooley Kickhams. It is absolutely fabulous to see. I will also speak to the likes of the Louth Disability Cycling Club. People may be aware of this club and of Kevin O'Brien, who has great interaction with the club on behalf of Variety. Variety runs the recycle mobility programme, through which families can avail of adapted bikes. These are absolutely perfect to enable children to cycle who might not have believed that was possible. It is brilliant for children with mobility issues, autism or Down's syndrome. It is a really good community interaction. We would have hoped that things would have been further on in relation to our dealings with Louth County Council on having a permanent base. I thank those groups that have contacted Louth Disability Cycling Club about putting a real base in operation. An example has been established in south County Dublin in the last while and I hope we will get something similar in Louth. We need to see that kind of support at Government level and at local authority level to deliver.

I thank Deputies O'Meara, Byrne and Ó Murchú. The Deputies have put an emphasis on access and support for those with disabilities. The Government is very focused on making progress in this area. Budget 2025 was the first to provide specific disability funding to national governing bodies through Sport Ireland. That was important. We have seen the appointment of a Sport Ireland disability lead, which is really important. We have also seen funding for each of our 29 sports partnerships across the country to employ officers to work with sporting organisations in each partnership area to ensure opportunities are in place. As each of the Deputies has described, it is wonderful and inspiring to go to a club and see children or people of any age with a disability or illness participating in sport. It gives a wonderful sense of energy and opportunity. Those opportunities might not be as plentiful for them as they are for people who do not have a disability. We need to work together collectively to support more and more of those opportunities so that participation gap continues to close and we see more and more people get those opportunities in every community right across the country. I thank the Deputy for raising this here today.