Legislation and Policy

National Laws and Key Policies on Gender Equality in Physical Education, Physical Activity, and Sport

 

Ireland

Ireland is dedicated to promoting gender equality in sports, integrating it into national policies and initiatives such as the “Women in Sport” programme, focusing on participation, leadership, coaching, and visibility. The National Sports Policy 2018–2027 targets equal participation in sports bodies management (with a focus on NGBs and LSPs) by 2027, with the gender gap narrowing significantly.

Hosting major events like the 2024 Women’s U20 Volleyball European Championship highlight Ireland’s commitment and efforts to provide greater opportunities for women and girls in all aspects of sports, from grassroots to elite levels, while also enhancing media coverage of women’s sporting events. The Olympic Federation as well as several sports organizations in Ireland have developed their own Women in Sport Action Plans to align with national policies and address specific needs within their sports.

International Policy Frameworks – Ireland

The GO Policy Mapping initiative looks at a set of international policy frameworks that apply across all countries. This table zooms in on Ireland, showing whether it has joined each framework, if legal obligations are attached, and which organisation is framework holder.

You can sort the columns to view the information in different ways. For the full list of frameworks visit Frameworks site.

Directory of National Laws and Key Institutions – Ireland

Browse or quickly find relevant national legislation, strategy, or action plan using the search and filter options. You can filter entries based on country, themes and impact area or search using keywords to locate specific document. Discover Irish national laws and key policies on gender equality & sport with just a few clicks! 

wdt_ID wdt_created_by wdt_created_at wdt_last_edited_by wdt_last_edited_at Policy Type Policy Policy Authority Year Enacted Impact Areas website
11 Action Plan National Sports Policy Action Plan 2021-2023 Sport Ireland (coordinating National Governing Bodies (NGBs), Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs), educational institutions) 2021 Sport, Physical Activity, Physical Education https://www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/media/document/2021-12/action_plan_english.pdf
12 Strategy Statement of Strategy 2021-2023 Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media 2021 Sport https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/181413/6f44c4a8-b7d8-4a4b-b0b2-2aed4502593b.pdf#page=null
13 Action Plan Sport Ireland Coaching Plan 2021-2025 Sport Ireland 2021 Sport https://www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/media/document/2022-06/SI%20Coaching%20Plan%20Final%20%2815.02.21%29.pdf
14 Policy Policy on Sport and Physical Activity in the Outdoor Sport Ireland; Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sports and the Gaeltacht 2020 Sport, Physical Activity https://www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/media/document/2020-09/sio-policy-english.pdf
15 Strategy Sport Ireland Statement of Strategy 2023-2027 Sport Ireland 2023 Sport, Physical Activity https://www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/media/document/2023-09/strategy_FINAL.pdf
16 Action Plan Participation Plan 2021-2024 Sport Ireland 2021 Sport, Physical Activity https://www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/media/document/2021-05/plan_final_eng-000001.pdf
17 Policy Women in Sport (WIS) Policy Sport Ireland 2019 Sport, Physical Activity https://www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/media/document/2023-11/Sport%20Ireland%20Policy%20on%20WIS%20%282023%20Final%29.pdf
18 Policy National Sports Policy 2018–2027 Sport Ireland 2018 Sport, Physical Activity https://assets.gov.ie/15979/04e0f52cee5f47ee9c01003cf559e98d.pdf
Policy Type Year Enacted Impact Areas

Data Statement

The information presented in this country profile has been collected by the GO from publicly available sources. The data is then reviewed by the members of the GO network. Dates of data collection and review are indicated below and updated on an ongoing basis.

  • Data collected: August 2025

  • Data review: In progress

If you notice any gaps or errors in the existing data, don’t hesitate to contact us at data@genderequalitysport.org.