Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

My first question is for Dr. Liston and Professor Maguire and relates to the equality, respect and human rights provisions of the Good Friday Agreement, particularly the right to identify and be accepted as Irish, British or both. I am concerned the political boundary rule of World Athletics is in conflict with those provisions. In their submission, the witnesses mentioned Ciara Mageean, an outstanding athlete who can represent Ireland and her home place of Portaferry at the Olympic Games but cannot do so at the European and World Athletics Championships. This is because of World Athletics and its boundary rule. That rule seems cruel to Irish athletes. It is totally unnecessary and should be removed. Would it be helpful if the Minister of State with responsibility for sport, Deputy Chambers, and the Northern Ireland Minister for Communities, Ms Deirdre Hargey MLA, were to work together, perhaps with Athletics Ireland, Athletics Northern Ireland, Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland, to seek a derogation from World Athletics in respect of the political boundary rule?