It looks like we will finally get a new Government today but the wheels of state have been moving regardless and sport got confirmation from Minister of State Michael Ring yesterday that €4.5 Million of funding earmarked for specific projects had been approved.
“An amount of €4.5m has been allocated from the Dormant Accounts Fund to support sports measures, including specific measures for disadvantaged communities to support the implementation of the National Physical Activity Plan.”
“I am delighted that the Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan recognises the importance of supporting sport measures.”
This funding will be used to support three key measures.
There will be continued support for the Community Sport Hubs and National Sport Education and Training Hub, which were established in 2015.
Sport Ireland will deliver targeted sports programmes for people in disadvantaged areas and that will be backed up by the provision of sports equipment as well.
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With negotiation having taken so long and the February election a fading memory it may be pointless to speculate on when a Minister of Sport is announced but we can only urge that this is part of the new Government thinking.
There can often be a reshuffling of portfolios but sport has benefitted enormously in recent years from having a dedicated Minister to fight its case. In an Olympic year, with the Euro 2020 Championships in Dublin on the horizon and bidding for a Rugby World Cup under way it would be a negative statement of huge importance were sport to lose out.
The reshuffle of responsibilities at the Department of transport, Tourism and Sport have created a stronger bond at official level timing Tourism and Sport together under Ken Spratt and once again we can only urge that this positive association between the two remains in place, potential perhaps with a stronger link to Health and Education as two of the bigger spending Departments for whom sport should play a central role.
