The Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport has published an Annual Report for 2013, outlining key milestones achieved during the year.
“At the start of 2013 I set out 25 key priorities. The Department’s annual report shows that 19 of these priorities were fully achieved during the year, with the remaining six substantially or partly achieved. The report also shows the progress made on targets set out in the Department’s Statement of Strategy 2011-2014,” said Minister Leo Varadkar publishing the report yesterday.
Transport and Tourism take up most of the commentary with the Gathering and advances in the single ticket Leap Card hailed as two major successes.
Facilities
Sport also gets its share of voice with the new facilities developed at the National Sports Campus – including a new equestrian arena, gymnastics and pentathlon facilities, multi-sport pitches and a sport pavilion, being recognised up front.
“These priorities have helped us to show that even in tough times, real progress can be made,” Minister Varadkar said.
Within the report, a full copy of which can be accessed here, there is valuable commentary on a number of key issues affecting the governance of sport.
Highlights of the year in numbers are listed as being:
- Payment of €1.6m in grants to elite athletes under the International Carding Scheme and €6.8m under the High Performance Programme
- Payment €7.9m to GAA, FAI and IRFU to increase participation by young people
- 67 medals at latest Olympic, Paralympic, World and European levels in sports supported by the Irish Sports Council
- Over 850,000 visits to the National Aquatic Centre
Reference is made to the Irish Sports Council‘s Sports Monitor Report and the rise in active participation from 44.5% to 47% of the population between 2011 and 2013.
The agreement to spend part of the proceeds from the sale of the National Lottery on a new National Indoor Arena also features. Work is to commence on this project later this year with an estimated build time of 24 months.
The next round of sports capital grants will also be published very shortly and see an injection of as much as €40 million into capital projects at club and sporting facilities across all sports around the country.
Measured
There is a saying that what is measured is managed and what is managed is improved. The Department publication of targets and reporting on where they have been hit or missed is a laudable example of open Government that sets a standard for other departments.
Much of the credit for this lies at the desks of officials like Tom O’Mahony and Donagh Morgan for getting work done across often competing interests but much also has to be attributed to the Ministers Leo Varadkar and Michael Ring for fighting within Government to give sport the importance it deserves.
Persistent rumours about the possible reshuffling of Minister Varadkar, possibly to Health mean there will be challenges to face over the coming year either in terms of a new minister giving equal prominence to sport within a large department, or indeed to the integration of sport within a new combine, perhaps of health.
This report is about past achievement. It also sets a marker for what will be needed in the future.
