Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Many of our athletes are still in the qualification process for the Olympic Games in Paris this year. I wish all of them good luck and I congratulate those who have already qualified. I am thinking in particular of Jack Marley, a boxer from Monkstown, which is in my area. We do not hear enough about these athletes and what they have already achieved in qualifying for the Olympics. We also do not hear enough about the fact that the Paralympic Games will follow the Olympic Games in Paris later this year. I am thinking of people who are still in the qualification process, particularly para-archer Kerrie Leonard from Meath, who is still in the process of qualifying and who, I think, will be competing at the world championships in Dubai shortly. There is a huge wealth of talent out there. Beyond that talent, there is ambition, effort and commitment from athletes both for the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games. They deserve our thanks and the credit for the work they do, which is obviously in an amateur capacity as well. It is a huge commitment and achievement. I look forward to as many as possible of our athletes and para-athletes qualifying and competing at the highest level in Paris. We look forward to their success as well.