Sport Ireland Disability Sports Forum hears how the Disability in Sport Fund is changing systems to achieve disability inclusion

From silos to systems: A unified vision for disability sport in Ireland

The first ever Sport Ireland Disability Sports Forum heard how the Disability in Sport Fund is changing systems to achieve disability inclusion and increase disability involvement in sports across Ireland.

Since 2025, with Government direction and support through the Disability in Sport Fund, Sport Ireland has demonstrated its commitment to inclusivity for all in Irish sport, through various measures including the appointment of a Director of Disability Sport.

Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan said: “Everyone should have the opportunity to participate in sport, yet people with disabilities continue to face significant barriers to participation. Strong policy is essential to addressing those barriers and ensuring that inclusion is embedded across our sporting system.

"As a Government we are committed to developing and supporting policies that make sport more accessible, inclusive and welcoming for people with disabilities, so that everyone can enjoy the many benefits that sport and physical activity bring to our health and wellbeing.”

Disability in Sport funding has been allocated to transformation projects within National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and through the appointment of Sports Inclusion Disability Officers within Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs).

Minister of State for Sport and Postal Policy, Charlie McConalogue said: “Government funding has a vital role to play in making sport more accessible and ensuring that people with disabilities have meaningful opportunities to participate. We are committed to investing in programmes and organisations that break down barriers and support inclusion across sport. The Disability in Sport fund, underpinned by our policy commitments, will help build a sporting system where everyone can experience the benefits of being active and involved in sport.”

In recent years, Sport Ireland has placed a particular strategic focus on the disability sport specific organisations: Special Olympics Ireland, Vision Sports Ireland, Deaf Sport Ireland, Irish Wheelchair Association, Paralympics Ireland, and Active Disability Ireland.

John Foley, chairperson of Sport Ireland, said: “Inclusion through sport means turning commitment into practical opportunities. That means accessible programmes and facilities for organisations and coaches and ways for people to take part at every level. For people with disabilities, that work is central. However, inclusion reaches further than disability alone – it's one of several areas where we’re working hard to make a real difference.”

Dr Úna May, CEO of Sport Ireland, said: “When we remove barriers and provide the right support, we create sporting environments where everyone can participate, everyone can develop and everyone can feel that they belong. That is the practical impact of inclusion through sport.”

Three priority areas have been identified for both NGBs and LSPs over 2025-2027:

•Enhancing digital accessibility in accordance with the requirements of the European Accessibility Act (EAA);

•Supporting Paralympic grassroots transition projects, with a view to strengthening participation pathways and long-term athlete development, and;

•A review of the 'Coaching a person with a disability framework and guidelines'.

Geraldine McTavish, Disability in Sport Lead for Sport Ireland, said: "These measures are being undertaken in a bid to help establish a more robust structure, improve sector-wide coordination, and reinforce collaborative working across sport, disability, and wider stakeholder networks."

The role of the Disability in Sport Lead is to reinforce collaborative working practices and communication with all sporting bodies and professionals within NGBs and LSPs to identify gaps and opportunities within the sporting system to ensure a person with a disability has 'Equal Access, Equal Voice, Equal Future' in sport.

Sport Ireland’s inaugural National Disability in Sport Week took place from December 1st to December 7th, 2025, celebrating the theme “Celebrating Ability” (Ag Ceiliúradh Cumas).

This year Sport Ireland has supported the planned transition of responsibility of para-swimming and para-athletics to Swim Ireland and Athletics Ireland.

This approach aims to fully integrate the para disciplines within their NGBs, creating more aligned, inclusive, and sustainable performance pathways for athletes.

In 2026, Sport Ireland provided Paralympics Ireland with Core Funding of €800,000 and access to an additional €500,000 in other high performance funding streams including innovation, direct athlete supports, coaching, and pathways. Furthermore, Sport Ireland allocated €1,050,000 in High Performance Programme Funding for Paralympic Sport, which has been utilised by NGBs to deliver their High Performance Programmes in 2026. This funding was directed to Paralympics Ireland, Athletics Ireland, Cycling Ireland, and Swim Ireland.

Sport Ireland welcomes the completion of the transition project, which is a strategically important development. We look forward to supporting Paralympics Ireland and NGBs with their plans to embed these new programmes and enhance the opportunities and supports for aspiring and current para performance athletes.

As part of this new era for disability sport in Ireland, Paralympics Ireland launched their new strategy complementing the vision of the systems wide change.