Junior Minister, Ian Paisley, MLA delivered this message to over 150 delegates at the All-Ireland High Performance Conference today at the Hilton Hotel where he was joined by the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Pat The Cope Gallagher, TD. Speaking on behalf of the Sports Minister Edwin Poots, MLA at the event, the Minister said:
“Northern Ireland has a rich sporting heritage, we have produced an impressive array of sportsmen and women of national and world renown and we have celebrated great team triumphs of Northern Ireland squads. In addition, Northern Ireland has gradually been establishing itself on the national and international stage as a venue for major sporting events.
“This rich sporting heritage, embracing all sections of our community, serves to underline the value of sport to people in Northern Ireland. Sport is, indeed, an integral part of our culture – it is part of our identity.
“We enjoy sport, we cherish it, it inspires us, it creates a sense of pride and projects a powerful, positive image of our community to international audiences.”
Sports Minister Edwin Poots, MLA, launched the public consultation of the draft 10-year Sports Strategy for Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Assembly on Tuesday, 9 October and called on all stakeholders and those involved in sport to consider the Strategy and to respond to it.
Ian Paisley Jnr continued: “If we are to succeed, we, all need a common purpose, a shared vision, shared goals and an agreed structure in which to take action.
“It is for these reasons that the new draft strategy should be firmly anchored around three all embracing themes:
Participation - the numbers of people who regularly take part in sport and physical recreation;
Performance – the achievements of Northern Ireland athletes and teams in competitive sport;
Places – the venues and localities used for sporting and recreational activity.”
The draft strategy offers 24 specific targets for sport and physical recreation to be achieved over the next 10 years. These are designed to address concerns in relation to participation, performance and places. It also acknowledges the need to improve levels of participation in sport and address under representation amongst certain groups of people. It addresses the need to improve Northern Ireland’s performance in international competition and the question of a major multi-sports stadium for Northern Ireland.
The draft Strategy is the product of two years work undertaken by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in partnership with Sport Northern Ireland, as well as a number of Government bodies.
Notes to Editors:
1. The All Ireland High Performance Conference takes place from 11-12 October in the Hilton Hotel, Belfast. The audience will consist of approximately 150 delegates from the voluntary, higher education and statutory sectors, with an interest and role to play in high performance sport. It will include coaches, sports science and medical practitioners, sports administrators, high performance managers etc. It will also include representation from across Ireland with approximately one third of delegates travelling from outside Northern Ireland.
2. The draft Sports Strategy can be accessed on DCAL’s website at www.dcalni.gov.uk. The closing date for receipt of responses to the draft Strategy is 9 January 2008.
3. The draft Sports Strategy:
Outlines Government’s commitment to sport and physical recreation ;
Builds on the ‘Strategy for the Development of Sport, 1997-2005’ and proposes a strategy for the development of sport and physical recreation in Northern Ireland up to 2017;
Sets the key strategic priorities for sport and physical recreation over the next ten years and informs the direction of future investment;
Applies to ‘sport’ in the widest sense, particularly those with responsibility for planning and implementing policies for sport and physical recreation at every level;
Is structured to reflect the current and anticipated needs of sport and physical recreation as expressed through consultation.
4. Media enquiries to DCAL Press Office on 028 90 258902 or email: press.office@dcalni.gov.uk Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
