Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to say we have been able to limit the reduction in funding to the Irish Sports Council to about 3% - not 7% - in 2014 when the council will receive over €42 million.  We are protecting funding for sport as best we can in difficult economic circumstances in recognition of the many continued successes of our sportspeople.  This continued investment indicates the Government’s commitment to sport in all areas.

The funding to the council will allow it to continue to support elite athletes through the high performance programme as they compete internationally.  The year 2013 again saw numerous Irish successes on the international stage. The range of sports involved demonstrates the depth and breadth of sporting talent in Ireland. The performance of Irish athletes internationally both boosts the morale of the country itself and promotes our image internationally, as well as drawing tourists to Ireland from around the world. The funding also supports the work of the national governing bodies of sport in increasing participation rates and a wide range of programmes delivered through the local sports partnerships.

I wish to ensure that all people are encouraged and given opportunities to participate in sport and to enjoy all the benefits that sport can bring through developing a healthy lifestyle, which in turn can produce an economic dividend through reducing costs to the health sector. I am glad to note that adult participation levels are continuing to increase, as can be seen from the latest data available from the Irish Sports Monitor 2013 half-year report. The report shows a continuation of that trend with active participation in sport increasing from 45% to 47% since 2011.

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