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Thanks the Taoiseach and the Minister of Sport, Michael Ring TD, for personal commitment to sport
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Highlights the exceptional young female talent emerging in Ireland
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59 medals won in supported high performance programmes in 2011
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58 of the medals won by Irish based sports people
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Praises the work of NGBs notably in hosting world class sports events in 2011
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Welcomes decisions on Coaching Ireland , National Sports Campus and Abbotstown House
Firstly I want to welcome An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, to this celebration today. Happily, An Taoiseach has attended other Sports Council events in 2011 and we are delighted with the time he has devoted to our work.
Notably An Taoiseach has a personal passion for outdoor recreation. He supported the National Trails Day, an initiative of the Council's National Trails Office, which has proven to be successful in promoting the increased use of the national network of outdoor trails. He also took part in the Sean Kelly Cycling challenge in Waterford which has evolved into a mass participation event of some significance. We sincerely appreciate his personal and political support for the Council and his commitment to the benefits of physical activity.
The Minister for Sport, Michael Ring TD, is also here today and I want to welcome him also. He has a great enthusiasm for the portfolio and the Council enjoys working with him on behalf of the wider sports community. I particularly want to thank him for his continued availability for sporting events throughout the country. His speech to the Irish Special Olympians in Athens was truly inspirational.
This has been a year of outstanding achievement by Irish women in sport. The list of winners is impressive and, as we remark each year, the standard continues to rise. We are witnessing the emergence of a generation of exceptional female talent across many sports. The Council is proud to work with these talented athletes and is excited about their future and the future of Irish sport.
The Council is delighted to be associated with these awards as they highlight the performances of these exceptional women. The initiative of the Irish Times in creating these awards should be applauded as there is an apparent lack of media coverage of female sport. There remains a gender gap in certain aspects of sport, from participants to officials, but we continue to work hard to remove barriers from sport through the Women in Sport programme.
These performances have been part of an exceptional year for Irish sport. Overall in directly supported high performance programmes an unprecedented fifty-nine (59) medals have been won at international championships in boxing, swimming, athletics, sailing, equestrian, canoeing, cycling, golf and Paralympic sport. Our special Olympians won 107 medals in Athens.
As well as the medals won we have seen outstanding performances in golf, cricket, soccer, motorsport and rugby. Representatives of all of those sports have been very generous in their public appreciation of the Council's contribution to that success and I thank them for that.
These achievements are based on the talent and dedication of the athletes. The Council has always believed that Irish athletes could compete at the very highest level of world sport. They deserve great credit for competing in more than 70 countries worldwide while wearing the green of Ireland. Their ambitions are supported by clubs, schools & colleges, coaches, partners, family and friends; we celebrate them all here today.
The National Governing Bodies are doing an excellent job and deserve great praise for producing top class athletes across a variety of sport. The Council works closely with the NGBs and has a focus on developing the organisations which remain at the heart of Irish sport. The advances in the governing body sector rely on the efforts of the voluntary members and the professional staff. The Council enjoys an excellent working relationship with the sports, which was highlighted during a recent consultative exercise on our strategy. We acknowledge their enormous work in the last year.
It is important to point out the significant investment in high performance sport in recent years and the work of John Treacy and his team at the Council and Institute of Sport. Strongly supported by the Government and Department of Sport and working with the governing bodies, a recognisably Irish high performance system is emerging which is producing results. 58 of the 59 medals won in 2011 were won by Irish based athletes, a very significant statistic.
The Council wants to highlight the exceptional work of governing bodies, and their partners, in hosting world class sport in Ireland in 2011. Personally I attended a number of exceptional events. Unfortunately I couldn't attend everything as more than 30 sports hosted international events. It is really amazing the variety and quality of events which showcase sport and make a substantial contribution to local economies and communities.
The Council enjoyed a successful year in other respects. The Anti-Doping Unit remains one of the best in the world. It continues to innovate with technology and in the programme by expanding into new areas.
The Local Sports Partnerships continue to deliver new opportunities in sports participation in every county in Ireland. Their focus is on disadvantaged groups in the community with restricted access to sport. They directly support 800 programmes that provide opportunities for up to 120,000 people annually. The Sports Partnerships have become an essential resource for sport and are invaluable in activating people who otherwise would not take part in sport.
I want to thank both An Taoiseach and Minister Ring for their support of Sports Partnership events both in Mayo and in other parts of the country; that is genuinely appreciated. In particular I want to highlight the support of Minister Ring for Go for Life, the hugely successful sports programme for older people. Your contribution in that area is warmly acknowledged.
The community of sport appreciates that we live in difficult times and that budgets must be cut. Sports organisations have sought to adapt to the new financial realities with the minimum of public fuss. I want to express my appreciation to the 107 sports organisations we work with for their attitude and professionalism in adjusting to the new budgetary situation.
The Council invests its allocated of €46 million on behalf of the taxpayer is order to generate the best return for the Irish taxpayer. 94% of the budget is spent on sports programmes and we are committed to maintaining low overheads, a high level of operational efficiency and we will ensure that money reaches the sports organisations in the most direct and effective manner.
The Council, with the new Government, is adapting to new circumstances. A number of recent decisions will have an impact on the development of the Council in the coming years. We look forward to formally integrating Coaching Ireland into the Council in 2011 . In addition we welcome the proposals to move the Council to Abbotstown House and to merge with the National Sports Campus. These developments present their own operational challenges but, no doubt, are positive developments for Irish sport.
It has been an exceptional year. We can look forward to another thrilling year in 2012, Poland and London are just a short six months away. I want to wish all the winners today every good wish for the year ahead and into the future. We are there to help in every way
Thank You
Kieran Mulvey
Chairman
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