Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the publication of the sports policy 2018-2027. It is very important that we have a clear roadmap in place for sports to develop and grow over the next decade. The first of the three key elements is to increase overall participation in sport from 43% to 50% by 2027. To increase participation in minority sports we will need to give more proactive support to this sector as opposed to reactive support as it has been in the past. We need to focus on where the help is needed now. If gold medals were being given out for people's ability to run to the podium and jump on a bandwagon the Minister would have won a gold medal for his handling-----