Speech by the Minister for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht, Thomas Byrne TD at the 82ú Ard Fheis

A chairde,

 

I am really proud to stand before you as Minister of State for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht.

 

In December 2022, I had the privilege to be asked by Tánaiste Micheál Martin, to serve in a role that is of vital importance to every community in Ireland.

 

And on Wednesday of this week, I received the honour of being appointed as Gaeltacht Minister, in addition to my existing responsibilities.

 

My commitment to the Irish language and to the Gaeltacht regions however, is not born from my title, but from a lifelong love of our native language, and a passion to see our language thrive.

 

So today, I want to give you my commitment to doing my utmost to deliver for our Gaeltacht communities, and to seeing our language come to life across our society.

 

Bunreacht na hÉireann, one of Fianna Fáil’s most significant achievements in government, sets out that Irish is our first official language.

 

And be in no doubt, a chairde, that neither Irish nor the Gaeltacht Department, will ever take second place with Fianna Fáil in Government, and with me as Minister.

 

When it comes to sport, I know that it is the lifeblood of so many communities.

 

It has the power to inspire, to break down barriers, to instil community pride, and create lifelong friendships.

 

As a party that is rooted in community, Fianna Fáil understands how important sport is to people.

 

And our record in Government is one of delivery for sport, and delivery for the people of Ireland.

 

In Government, Fianna Fáil has delivered the largest-ever investment in grassroots sport in the history of our state.

 

The 2020 round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme delivered a record €166 million, to almost 2,900 individual sports projects, across the country.

 

Last September, I launched a new round of Sports Capital, with the demand for grants reaching record levels.

 

And today, I want to underline my total commitment, to delivering substantial funding for the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme in 2024.

 

Every week, I am visiting different constituencies and meeting with local clubs.

 

And I am in no doubt as to how vital Sports Capital grants are, to our clubs and sports facilities.

 

As Sport Minister, I am determined to deliver as much funding as possible, as quickly as possible.

 

This work is being driven on by me and I want to see grants announced at the earliest opportunity.

 

In terms of delivering larger scale sports facilities, Fianna Fáil in Government has delivered €124 million to date, under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund.

33 projects, across every region, have benefitted from the LSSIF.

 

From Meath to Galway, Donegal to Cork, Waterford to Dublin – the LSSIF is delivering sports projects of local and regional significance.

 

I know the demand is out there for a new round of the LSSIF.

 

And I can confirm to you all today, that a new round of the LSSIF, will open for applications, very shortly.  

 

So, I encourage you all to engage with your local clubs and projects which might be interested in applying, in order to be prepared for the new round.

 

A chairde, Fianna Fáil is a proud Republican Party.

 

For me, being a republican, doesn’t amount to the waving of a tricolour, and singing old familiar songs.

 

To be a republican, means a commitment to breaking down barriers in our society, to work towards a society that is more equal, and to give everyone an opportunity to participate.

 

Shortly after my appointment as Sport Minister, I made it clear in the Dáil that I would not approve Government funding towards projects, which do not provide access to its facilities, to both women and men, on a similar basis.

 

These are not just words – they are now a written policy, that I have published, and which form the rules of my Department.

 

From the grassroots to the boardroom, women must be represented at every level of sport.

 

In 2020, when Fianna Fáil entered Government, the overall percentage of women on sports boards stood at 29%.

 

As of yesterday, it now stands at 45%.

 

That is a remarkable improvement, which will only serve to improve our sporting community.

 

But we can never grow complacent.

 

And I have introduced a new rule, which means that 50% of Government funding for sports bodies will be withheld, until such a time as their board reaches 40% gender balance.

 

Quite simply, we will not be funding inequality in sport, in line with our Republican values.

 

There is much else that I could talk about when it comes to my brief, but I am keen to hear your voices, and see how I can help our candidates succeed in June.

 

When we ask people for their vote in June and onwards, we can be proud of our record in sport, with a record budget of €183m delivered under Budget 2024, representing a 65% increase since 2018.

 

I also want to recognise my Oireachtas colleagues, Deputy Niamh Smyth and Senator Shane Cassells, for their work in promoting sport.

 

As we have all seen, Niamh is an outstanding chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Media and Sport.

 

And Shane is a true champion of sport in the Upper House.

 

As Sport Minister, I have also seen Cllr Michael Naughton’s outstanding work as LGFA President, first-hand.

 

And I want to particularly commend Michael for his role in driving on the integration process.

 

A chairde, I want to thank you for your attention, your commitment to our great party, and wish you every success as we look ahead to June.

 

Thank you.