Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If anybody doubts the benefits of sail training, there are some interesting programmes in different parts of the world. From what I have seen, theSpirit of New Zealandis probably the best of them. Some people have perceptions of privilege around sail training, but it is the opposite. I have met a number of people for whom their service on the Asgard II, for example, changed the direction of their lives. We can use sail training proactively in a useful and constructive way to build confidence, teamwork, and self-esteem among people who may not otherwise have an opportunity to benefit from the experience of being part of a crew on a sail training programme. I am committed to trying to deliver this but we need to robustly assess the cost-benefit analysis and so on, and we need to work with partners. We have partners that we can trust, both North and South, to do something valuable in this regard. I look forward in the months ahead, I hope, to updating the House on where the project lies.

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