Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader for a debate on inclusive sport and how the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport, Gaeltacht and Media is going to encourage and support sports clubs all around the country to welcome people with differing abilities. I raise this after an incredibly successful event last Sunday when my club Glenmore Athletic Club had a come-and-try day for the second year running. Volunteers in the club worked for weeks to make sure that we had an accessible and fun day for everybody. We focused on people with Down's syndrome this week but we run courses and training sessions all the time for people with different needs and abilities. If we are serious about welcoming all members of the community, we must be able to ensure that is the case in local sports clubs dotted all around the country. Athletics is my thing. Because I know it, I am aware it is such an inclusive sport. Anyone can run, jump or throw. I saw that on Sunday. Children from a very young age were doing the turbo javelin and the long jump, and they were running and sprinting. Parents who thought their children would never even be able to run 50 m were running 200 m. A club member, David O'Hare, has represented Ireland internationally. He happens to have Down's syndrome but he has represented our club in mainstream sport because he is that good. We must believe that children with all needs are that good and that they can compete, complete and enjoy sport with their families.

One fantastic thing about what we did in our club is that parents who brought children to our inclusive sports day were able to bring their other children for other types of training. For the first time in their families' lives the parents were able to bring their entire family to one sporting club and everyone was welcome. Clubs need funding and encouragement for that. We need each sporting body to be very positively discriminatory towards people with disabilities.