The Annual Conference of the Federation of Irish Sport takes place later today at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.
It will be a first real opportunity for Transport, Tourism and Sport Minister Paschal Donohoe to speak in detail to the heads of the countries sporting body among an audience of 160.
The Minister replaced Leo Varadkar in 2014 and has allowed Minister of State for Sport Michael Ring to do much of the running with regard to set piece announcements around the funding and political importance of sport.
He has certainly been interested and been visible at GAA events, Rugby announcements and at major Cricket sponsorship press conferences but this will be an opportunity to speak to the wider audience and to set out his vision of where sport sits at Cabinet level within Government.
It could be argued that has never been higher. Not only Donohoe but Taoiseach Enda Kenny have been to the fore in discussions and announcements around the bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2023, and the successful winning of the hosting of the Women’s World Cup in 2017.
The Sport Ireland Bill was signed into law by the President on Friday and the way this will work in practice is likely to be prominent in today’s speech.
Last year Minister Varadkar gave a ‘state of the nation’ speech about the importance of sport, announcing that a multi annual spending plan was likely and that investment could well be going towards the French model of multi sport facilities in communities.
He also fired a warning that sport was not exercising the minds of the electorate during the European and local elections that were on at the time and that politics was driven by what the public need and want.
Read our report from last year’s address
It will be interesting to see what Minister Donohoe delivers today in terms of plans, promises and vision for sport in what is likely to be the last such address before the next general election.
