HL Deb 07 September 2004 vol 664 c99WA
Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure plans to provide funding and resources to:

  • (a) association football;
  • (b) rugby union;
  • (c) cricket; and
  • (d) Gaelic Athletic Association games;
if so, whether in each case there is a cross community requirement; if so, what that requirement is; and how it will be monitored. [HL3498]

Baroness Amos

The Sports Council for Northern Ireland is responsible for the development of sport in Northern Ireland, including the distribution of funding to individual sports. The sports council makes funding available, to (a) association football (including resources under the soccer strategy process), (b) rugby union; (c) cricket; and (d) Gaelic Athletic Association games under existing funding arrangements. Any funding beyond this will be a matter for the sports council.

As the organisations listed are voluntary organisations, they do not have any statutory duty under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998). However, the sports council requires all organisations which it funds to have an equity policy in place in their constitution/articles of association. Each of these organisations has provided the sports council with a copy of their equity policy.