Ireland’s governing authority for sport believed it was in a no-win situation as it looked to prepare guidance on transgender and non-binary participation in sport.
In internal discussions, Sport Ireland said views on the issue were “polarised and very strongly held” and any advice it gave was likely to be “heavily scrutinised”.
A risk assessment said, however, it was important there was an overarching policy document to help sporting organisations which were increasingly finding themselves under “significant pressure”.
An internal discussion paper said: “Sport Ireland will receive criticism regardless of the approach recommended, or not, in the guidance.
“In all likelihood, there will be significant reaction and commentary both within the sport sector and from wider society to the publication of the guidance.”
Sport Ireland had engaged a private company to conduct research, and consultation with thousands of people, as well as international and Irish sporting organisations.
However, large sections of the records detailing how the new guidance was developed were withheld under freedom of information laws on the basis they were confidential.
In another note from its risk register, Sport Ireland said the topic of transgender and non-binary participation could be a “polarising topic”.
It said any guidance was likely to create an “intense debate”, with the possibility of “reputational risk” for the governing authority.
In the wider discussion paper, Sport Ireland said there was no “consensus approach” and it was creating challenges for all sporting organisations.
“It is also important to acknowledge the impact this ongoing debate must be having on the lives of transgender and non-binary sport enthusiasts,” the paper added.
The discussion paper said preparing guidance needed to be “neutral and respectful” and give sporting organisations options that would work best in their area.
It said groups could look at ideas that focus on the “social, recreational, and community aspects” of sport, which for many were just as important as competitive games.
It said: “In terms of the overall ethos of the document, the Ethics Unit recommends encouraging NGBs [national governing bodies] to approach this task first from the principle of inclusion.
“This means that when considering developing policy, NGBs should examine if and how their sport can be inclusive of transgender and non-binary participants.”
This was “in recognition of the ever-changing landscape” and new information that might become available over time.
Asked about the discussions, a spokesman for Sport Ireland said its vision was of an active Ireland where everyone could enjoy the benefits of exercise and physical activity.
He said they had taken into account “the increasing scrutiny” of trans and non-binary participation when preparing their guidance.
