Ministers Martin and Byrne confirm €2.7 million in Government funding for Sport Ireland Women in Sport Programme in 2023

Sport Ireland is pleased to publish details of how government funding of €2.7 million under the Women in Sport Programme has been allocated for 2023.

Through investment in this programme, the Government and Sport Ireland continues to support sporting organisations and enhance all aspects of female involvement across the Women in Sport Policy target areas namely, Coaching & Officiating, Active Participation, Leadership & Governance and Visibility.

Commenting on the funding allocated, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, said “Addressing the participation gap in sport and physical activity for women and girls is a priority of the National Sports Policy 2018-2027. In recent years we have seen some improvements in this area. In conjunction with the Government and Sport Ireland, I am committed to continuing this work with the aim of eliminating the participation gap by 2027. The funding allocated to sporting organisations this year and the increased funding announced for 2024 will ensure the promotion of greater female involvement in sport and physical activity at all levels, from the pitch to the boardroom”. 

Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education, Thomas Byrne TD, added “Significant government funding is being invested in innovative and progressive programmes that create sustainable opportunities to enhance the participation of women and girls in sport. It is very welcome to see initiatives aimed at increasing women’s sustained involvement in sport as coaches, officials, volunteers, club members, advocates, leaders and participants, from the grassroots to the podium. I am committed to ensuring that opportunities are in place for female participation in sport at all levels. The funding allocated this year along with the increased funding announced in the Budget for 2024 will allow sporting organisations to continue delivering those opportunities.”

Over the course of the previous funding cycle (2021&2022), the Sport Ireland Women in Sport Investment Programme helped to fund approximately 150 projects/initiatives. These projects supported Sport Ireland’s vision for women in sport as one where women have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential, while enjoying a lifelong involvement in sport.

For 2023, many of these same projects secured Sport Ireland investment under the Women in Sport programme to ensure their sustainability and impact but new and exciting initiatives are also due to be established. Examples of projects/programmes supported through the funding published today can be seen in the Appendix .Funding will be ring-fenced under Women in Sport for strategically important internal and NGB related events and projects under the ‘Special Projects’ funding. This may also be used to support organisations who did not apply for funding support in the current round.

Sport Ireland Chief Executive, Dr. Úna May, commented: “The funding will not only see a diverse range of sports available to the female Irish public but an increase in the visibility of females be that as role models, on boards, field of play or in the media. I would like to acknowledge the continued support of the Ministers and staff in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. There is a lot more planned for 2024 and beyond and we will continue to work closely with the sector to achieve the objectives of the Women in Sport Policy.”



Nora Stapleton Director of Strategic National Governing Body Programmes & Women in Sport Lead added: “The Women in Sport funding will give the NGBs support and certainty to proceed with their programmes to address the target areas of the Women in Sport policy. I look forward to continuing to work with NGBs to continue the momentum that exists and ensure Sport Ireland’s vision for women in sport is one where women have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential, while enjoying a lifelong involvement in sport”

FUNDING BREAKDOWN

Large Field Sports / Special Projects

An additional €700,000 was provided by Government to contribute towards strategic programme funding in the IRFU and FAI. This includes €500,000 announced by Government prior to Ireland’s participation in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

Following a collective submission from the gaelic games bodies (GAA, LGFA, Camogie, GAA Handball), Sport Ireland is providing total funding of €200,000 to advance a number of individual and collaborative projects within the sports.  Similar to other funding schemes in Sport Ireland, funding is being ring fenced under Women in Sport programme for strategically important internal and NGB related events and projects under the ‘Special Projects’ funding. The total amount reserved under Special Projects is €42,000 for 2023. 

SAMPLE PROGRAMMES

Swim Ireland

The following provides an overview of five projects Swim Ireland intend to deliver.

• Women in Sport Leadership Programmes - Swim Ireland implemented a Gender Policy in 2020 on the company Board of Directors that ensures a minimum gender balance of 60/40 (male/female or female/male). This has since been extended into regional committees, who must obtain a minimum of 70:30 male/female gender balance. The WIS Leadership Programme enables Swim Ireland to support females into these positions, while increasing the female representation across regional and national committees and boards. The programme incorporates a collaboration with other National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) who can advertise the programme within their membership and vet their candidates for the programme.
• WIS Coaching & Mentoring Programme – The central aim of this programme is to reach gender parity across the various Aquatic Coaching qualifications (Swimming, Water Polo, Diving). The NGBs intention for 2023 is to focus on areas where female representation is not at an equitable level. This deficit lies within Level 3 Swimming and Level 2 Water Polo, Diving and Artistic (formerly known as Synchronised) Swimming.
• Swimmin' Women – This programme aims to encourage and empower women to participate in aquatic sports and experience how Swimming, Aqua Aerobics and other aquatic activities can support females throughout the life cycle, especially during significant milestones of life. The midlife programme consists of a specific aqua aerobics programme, developed in partnership with Irish Chartered Physiotherapists with a specialty in Women’s Health. The practical programme is supplemented by informational pamphlets on menopause: introducing the topic, explaining how swimming can increase a woman’s quality of life during menopause and how it can mitigate the three chronic risk areas for disease associated with menopause; Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease and Osteoporosis.
• Artistic Swimming – Grow the sport of artistic Swimming in Ireland to provide an opportunity for teenage girls at risk of drop out from other aquatic sports and girls from the wider public who are interested in participating in a different aquatic activity to stay or get active.
• WIS Education Course – An initiative to create educational resources to support female engagement and performance in sport, covering topics like menstruation, nutrition, injury prevention and management and wellbeing.

Basketball Ireland

The NGB continues to focus on multiple target areas with initiatives planned for each. A summary of these projects can be seen below.

• ‘#BeTheChange’ – In partnership with the Irish Wheelchair Association and delivered by reputable consultants, the NGB will roll out a leadership programme, with a focus on supporting women with a disability involved in the game and who wish to move into more senior leadership positions in the sport. This will include coaches and volunteers who want to be more active in their club committees, to club committee members who want to become more active in their regional or national boards and those who wish to work towards the Basketball Ireland board/sub committees.
• Socia-ball – To re-engage women and girls in basketball using a recreational, non-competitive model with a focus on fun and social outlet, the NGB will continue to grow Socia-ball by partnering with existing clubs as hosts, LSPS and schools.
• Follow Her Lead – To develop female networks in both coaching and officiating to support females through lifelong participation in basketball.
• Spotlight Her – A programme to develop the capability of top female players who aspire to present basketball at local and national level across all media platforms and to ensure the sports role models are visible to inspire the next generation.
• Women Student Coaching Academy -WSCA – in partnership with Student Sport Ireland, a programme to provide a pathway for female students with an interest in coaching to gain further support and retain them in Basketball.

Badminton Ireland

The NGB have recently launched their new strategy for women and girls with ambitious targets outlined. The following provides a summary of projects the NGB hope to deliver.

• Lift Your Game - A leadership programme for 24 women delivered by consultants through 5 online and 2 in-person sessions as well as follow up mentoring and networking opportunities.
• BadminTEEN - A programme to give girls in TY in secondary schools the opportunity to master the core skills of badminton as a player and an official, while promoting health and wellbeing in a safe, understanding and positive environment.
• Women in Sport Level 1 Pathway Programme (Coaching) – A development programme where Badminton Ireland will actively engage and recruit females who have completed the Shuttle Time Coaching Programme through to completing a Badminton World Federation Level 1 Coaching Award. The NGB will also be providing coaching support and mentoring to ensure that coaches can transition from the classroom to the court easily and with confidence.
• New Club Start-up Programme – Creating a social and inclusive club model for women which can then be extended to integrating both male and female players together. The initiative is for women who want to establish a club but may not have the tools or confidence to deliver on this.
• Women's Student Coaching Academy – The objective of this programme is to provide female members of Third-Level Badminton clubs with formal, informal, and practical coaching opportunities and remove barriers to coaching development for students (e.g. finance, guidance, opportunity etc.), aiming to develop each participants expertise and qualifications base.
• Racquet Sports Coaches Leadership Programme - Collaborating with Tennis Ireland and Table Tennis Ireland to create a network of like-minded women in a 'Racquet Sports Coaches Leadership Programme'. Coaches will learn and collaborate with each other across the three sports to form a community of practice.

Irish Martial Arts Commission

Recognising the need to broaden the coaching/officiating base and progress female coaches and officiators along the respective pathways, the NGB will put in place several initiatives in 2023 to support females in these roles. This includes identifying individuals and subsidising training costs to encourage and progress them in their coaching/officiating journey, as well as establishing coaching networks and providing support to those coaches opening their own clubs. From a leadership and governance point of view, the NGB recognise 40% target for women on boards and have outlined strategies on how to reach this target in IMAC. This includes the provision of leadership training to women on the IMAC Executive and IMAC Advisory Boards as well as a campaign to encourage all clubs to ensure women on their board. The NGB also aim to increase female participation in martial arts by creating a promotional campaign targeted at particular demographics of women & girls identified as under-represented in martial arts, including teenage girls. Initiatives such as ‘self-defence and martial arts for women’ will be set up. The NGB also hope to set up focus groups with girls and explore different formats for competition that may be more appealing to teenage girls.

Deaf Sports Ireland

Through the use of Women in Sport funding, the NGB aim to enable current players of the Irish Deaf Women's Futsal team to attain accredited qualifications in order to coach the next generation of deaf female football players. Run in collaboration with the Football Association of Ireland the course will be designed to provide 16 deaf international footballers with their first step on the coaching pathway.

Diving Ireland

Focusing on Coxain and instructor qualifications, the projects aim to empower women to undertake the Coxain training course to upskill their diving activities. It will give the participants a lifetime qualification in how to safely drive, manoeuvre and operate a boat on diving activities. The Women in Sport Participation Campaign project will work with clubs to identify opportunities to promote underwater sports including snorkelling. It will deliver workshops to guide clubs on how to promote themselves and to give them the confidence to opening their doors to more activity and specifically female participants. In order to grow the sport of Underwater Hockey, the NGB will seek to run female only coaching and refereeing courses.