Mr. Matt English:

I thank the Chairman for his introduction and the invitation to meet with the committee to consider the health and well-being of persons with an intellectual disability and cross-Border supports in this regard.

Special Olympics Ireland was founded in 1978 by a group of volunteers and run on a voluntary basis for several years from both sides of the Border. It is an all-island sporting and voluntary organisation with more than 10,000 registered athletes supported by 25,000 registered and vetted volunteers. Their activities compliment other services and supports provided by Governments on both sides for the benefit of people with an intellectual disability. Over a quarter of the population on the island with an intellectual disability have the opportunity to avail of and are participants in the Special Olympics programme. This makes it the largest programme that caters for and involves persons with an intellectual or learning disability.

Special Olympics is most frequently identified for the major events it hosts. The world games, for example, that we hosted in 2003 spring to mind. However, the strength of Special Olympics is what it delivers every week in sport and training activities and much more. It is administered through the five regions - Connacht, Munster, Leinster, Ulster and the greater Dublin area.

Special Olympics is a global programme with 220 registered national programmes. About 2% of the world population with an intellectual disability avails of the programme, while here on the island of Ireland it is 25%. We have the strongest programme and the highest level of participation, with just under 400 community-based clubs run on a voluntary basis. It is a multi-sport organisation offering training and competition in 15 Olympic-type sports. We are always looking to add other sports as resources become available. Special Olympics is focused on promoting individual integration into local communities and giving as much an opportunity as possible for our athletes to develop and achieve. It is a professionally run organisation with a strong board and adheres to best practice in codes of governance. We leverage our volunteers so much. If a government tried to deliver this programme without the support of such a wide volunteer group, it would be at significant cost.

Our programmes recognise a range of issues for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Sports provision is key but we are focused on issues such as health promotion and education. Our vision is simple. We want to ensure that every person with an intellectual disability or learning difficulty has the opportunity to participate in a community club and achieve life-changing experiences, increased skills, confidence and joy.

The Irish Government has provided support over a long period of time and we would not be where we are as an organisation without it. Since 2008 the core funding we receive from the Irish Government through the Irish Sports Council has been cut from €3 million to €1.2 million. This represents a 59% cut in core funding. This reduction, along with the macroeconomic conditions and the difficulty of fund-raising in the current environment, means the programme we offer is not sustainable in the long term and we are significantly dipping into reserves that were built up in better times.

By contrast, since 2011 the Northern Ireland Executive has provided significant funding and funds 68% of the programme costs of Special Olympics Ireland in Northern Ireland. Given the contribution Special Olympics makes to State policies on both sides of the Border in respect of sport, health, education, social inclusion and the promotion of volunteering, it is time for the Irish Government to widen the funding base to support SOI, similar to the provision in Northern Ireland. This will better reflect the role SOI plays in ensuring our athletes with an intellectual disability reach their full potential.

In this presentation my colleagues will set out how in 2011 they convinced the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister and the relevant Departments in Northern Ireland that Special Olympics is about much more than just sport and why athletes with an intellectual disability deserved their support. I introduce Mr. Liam McGarry, who has a sister with an intellectual disability and is a long-time volunteer with Special Olympics, to briefly outline how the case was established for cross-departmental multi-annual funding for Special Olympics in Northern Ireland.