T2. Mr Harvey asked the Minister for Communities what support has been given to grassroots sports over the past three financial years. (AQT 412/22-27)

Over the past three financial years, up to March 2024, Sport NI has issued Exchequer funding of almost £39·4 million and National Lottery funding of just over £17 million. That funding consisted of 3,394 grant awards to over 1,963 bodies, which included grassroots sports governing bodies. In 2023-24, Sport NI invested £7·1 million of National Lottery funding into 37 sports governing bodies, and that figure will increase to almost £8 million. In 2023-24, Sport NI awarded just over £1·37 million of capital funding for the purpose of improving sports facilities, including those that will benefit grassroots clubs.

By way of comparison, I can advise that, of the funding paid out that year, the Irish Football Association received £500,000, Ulster GAA received £440,000, Ulster Rugby received £450,000, golf received £264,000 and tennis received £52,000. The £1·37 million of capital investment programmes that were administered included the Building Better Sports Facilities programme, the Your School Your Club initiative, stadia safety and the renewable energy fund, and nine different sports have benefited.

Will the Minister join me in wishing reigning world and European champion gymnast, Rhys McClenaghan, from Newtownards, well for the Olympic Games to be held in Paris this summer?

Yes, absolutely. I wish him all the best — not just him, but all those from Northern Ireland who are competing in the games. Rhys is a fantastic athlete and an incredible competitor. He has had huge success in Europe and at the Commonwealth Games and is an inspiration to many people across Northern Ireland. Of course, I absolutely want to wish him well.

I recently took the opportunity to visit the Sports Institute at the Jordanstown campus of Ulster University. It was great to meet those who are going to the Olympics or hoping to go to the Olympics. I hope that I speak on behalf of the House when I wish them all the very best in the coming months, not just at the Olympic Games, but at the Paralympic Games in August and September. It is worth reminding ourselves of something that was certainly made clear to me when I was at the Sports Institute. We think of the individual athletes, but there is an incredible team behind every one of those athletes, and they deserve our thanks and appreciation for the work that they do.

I get some difficult questions in the House. Am I willing to wish Rhys well? Yes, I absolutely am.

Mr Beattie and Ms Ennis are not in their place, so I call Mr Brian Kingston.