Speech by Minister of State Pat Carey TD at the 2009 National Athletics Awards
I am delighted to be here at this year's National Athletics Awards. Tonight's awards, which are now in their third year, honour Ireland's most successful athletes, coaches, clubs, and officials.
These awards are a public tribute to the recipients and to their talent, dedication and sportsmanship. Sport needs its heroes and its champions and the successful achievements of our elite athletes give all of us a sense of honour and pride. The hard work, commitment and dedication that lie behind their success, serve to inspire, encourage and raise the spirits of us all. Success is not achieved without many sacrifices. Curtailment of social activities and the endurance of many hours of training in all sorts of weather is a necessary ingredient for achieving success at national and international level.
Equally, our local athletes can wield considerable influence on our own towns and villages, because we know these people as individuals, as friends, neighbours, even relations, but also as people who can go the extra mile and provide us with a role model of excellence. Active participation in sport and physical recreation contributes enormously to the physical and emotional well being of the individual, and by extension, of the whole community. It is right and fitting, therefore, that we honour the achievements of our outstanding athletes and that we support them as they strive for further success.
This year has been a very exciting year for Irish athletics with Olive Loughnane winning Silver at the World Championships in Berlin and Derval O'Rourke and Mary Cullen taking Bronze at the European Indoor Championships in Turin. There were also numerous other encouraging performances during the year and it all bodes well for the future. I congratulate all nominees across the various categories gathered here tonight.
Like all sports organisations in the country, Athletics Ireland relies on the commitment of volunteers. I would like to applaud the selfless contribution that volunteers make to sport. As you know I am the Government Chief Whip, but I also have responsibility for Active Citizenship. In communities across the country we all know dedicated people who are committed to sport and are consistently generous with their time and skills. Their considerable efforts and willingness ‘to give’, is obviously of immense benefit to the sport of athletics as well as the wider community.
Tonight too is an opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of those selfless race officials, voluntary coaches, administrators and clubs who remain the backbone of Irish athletics.
I can assure you that this Government and my colleague Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism is committed to sport and believes in the contribution it can make to our society, for individuals and for communities. The Irish Sports Council, which is funded by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, has received over €314 million in funding since it was set up in July 1999 and its allocation in 2009 is almost €52m. Since 2007, the Athletic Association of Ireland (Athletics Ireland) has received almost €7.2m from the Irish Sports Council including almost €2.3m in 2009.
The Sports Capital Programme has also significantly improved the quantity and quality of sporting facilities throughout the country in recent years. A total of over 7,400 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocation from Government in that time to over €725 million.
In conclusion, I would like to thank Liam Hennessy and all involved at Athletics Ireland for their efforts in organising these awards as well as Tipperary Crystal and Woodie's DIY for their support of the event. I would like to again congratulate all nominees here tonight and to wish you all well for the future.
Thank you.