Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education Thomas Byrne has had a new brief added to his workload in today’s mini-shuffle of Ministers of State.

He will now also have responsibility for the Gaeltacht while retaining the two that most impact on sport.

It has also been announced that former Mayo GAA footballer Alan Dillon has been promoted to a Junior Ministerial role in the Department of Housing.

This means he will have to step down from his place on the Joint Oireachtas Committee covering sport where he has been a strong inquisitor of the various sporting bodies that have been called before it in the lifetime of this Government.

He was not present for today’s session with the Presidents of the three main and other Gaelic Games governing bodies and former President Mary McAleese on the question of integrating into a single governing body.

We will have a review of that session on Sport for Business tomorrow morning.

No doubt he had his homework done and he will be a loss to the Committee in a sports context though we wish him well in his new position.

A replacement for him on the Committee will be announced shortly.

The Committee is chaired by Niamh Smyth and also consists of Chris Andrews, Ciarán Cannon, Peter Fitzpatrick, Brendan Griffin, Mattie McGrath, Imelda Munster Christopher O’Sullivan, Malcolm Byrne, Michael Carrigy, Shane Cassells, Annie Hoey, and Fintan Warfield.

 

Sport for Business Perspective:

Retaining Minister of State Thomas Byrne for the remainder of this Government is a win, giving a consistent approach and retaining the very natural link between his two briefs.  Adding a third will bring additional time pressure which will be a challenge but that is the nature of life in politics.

Alan Dillon’s absence will be a loss to the Oireachtas Joint Committee but his performances and other political necessities of geography meant that it was no surprise.  There may be a few in sport who will applaud his move and be grateful for not having to face him at Committee for a while.

 

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