Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 24: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the provisions he has made to encourage people of different nationalities to participate in sport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25663/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Sports Council, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for encouraging the promotion, development and co-ordination of competitive sport and for increasing participation in recreational sport.

The Council's basic philosophy is, therefore, one of inclusion and its Statement of Strategy recognises the potential of sport to be a driver for social change dealing with issues such as exclusion and social inequality.

All sports agencies funded by the Council, including National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships, are encouraged to target all sections of society in seeking to increase participation in sport.

Apart from these general participation programmes and initiatives, the Council is also involved, indirectly and directly, in a number of successful initiatives that seek to encourage people of other nationalities to participate in sport. Typically these programmes are funded through the National Programme Against Racism (NPAR) administered by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Another recent development, partly supported by the Council, is the appointment by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) of an Intercultural Officer, the first such appointment to be made in the country.

The Deputy will also be aware that under the Sport Capital and Local Authority Swimming Pool Programmes the Department is supporting a range of sporting facilities which contribute to the greater involvement of people in sporting activities.