Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that there will be a shared island dialogue on sport this afternoon. It will be the ninth event in the shared island dialogue series that was launched by the Taoiseach in October 2020. This event is being held in the Sport Ireland national sports campus in Blanchardstown and can also be watched online from 2.30 p.m.. Current and former sports stars, sports organisations, clubs, community groups and health and well-being professionals will come together today to examine the role that sport plays in building and improving community relations. It will also explore how to enhance co-operation through sport across the island.

There is, of course, a long and vibrant tradition of collaboration in sport across the island. Many of our sporting bodies are organised on an all-island level; our international teams in sports as diverse as rugby, cricket and hockey draw on the talent of people from all parts of this island for their success and our Olympic heroes come from all backgrounds, cultures and traditions, representing the full diversity of communities and traditions on the island of Ireland.

Towards the end of last year, I launched a sports action plan which runs until the end of next year. One of its actions commits to continue to engage positively on a North-South basis to facilitate the delivery of sport and physical activity to all on the island and to enable the sharing of best practice and access to facilities. Today's dialogue provides an important opportunity to look at how we can put that into practice.

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