Announcement of the Irish Team for the London 2012 Paralympic Games
Thursday 28th June 2012
Delighted to be here today for announcement of Irish team for the London
2012 Paralympic Games.
Summer Paralympic Games
 First held in Rome in 1960
 Now one of world’s major sports events
 Games have grown hugely over the years
 Number of athletes taking part has increased
 In 1960 there were 400 athletes from 23 countries
 In Beijing in 2008 there were over 4,000 athletes from 153 countries
Ireland has a proud tradition at Paralympic level.
 Have competed in every Paralympic Summer Games, including the very
first Paralympics in Rome in 1960
 Irish athletes have brought great success to the country over the years
 They have won 5 medals and finished 36th on the medals table at the last
Games in Beijing
49 athletes from 23 counties
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will travel to this year’s Summer Games in London
They will be supported by a staff team of 48
This is Ireland’s biggest team since Atlanta in 1996
There are also 5 world champions on the Irish team.
Paralympics Ireland
 founded in 1987
 Done a wonderful job in developing Paralympic sport in Ireland
 They are responsible for the preparation and management of the
 Irish team in the lead up to and at the Paralympic Games.
Mission of Paralympics Ireland
 “To lead elite Irish Paralympic Athletes in achieving sustained
competitive excellence and to inspire the nation of Ireland”
Would like to congratulate
 Paralympics Ireland
 Irish Sports Council
 National Governing Bodies
 On all the excellent work they do for our Paralympians
Standards in Paralympic Sport
 continue to rise
 It’s so difficult to qualify, not to mind reach finals or win medals
We understand the challenges ahead for our athletes and will support their
efforts in every way.
Delighted that
 for first time Paralympic Games will be live on Irish Television on Setanta
Ireland
 Will also be coverage on RTE and Channel 4
 It’s wonderful to see such media interest
 Hopefully many Irish successes to report on
Government understands
 importance of sport and physical activity for
 development of a healthier society
 Want to encourage people and give them opportunities to take part in
sport and enjoy benefits that sport can bring.
Irish Sports Council is funded by my Department
Irish Sports Council received €46.8 million in funding last year
 ISC allocated €1.625 million to Paralympics Sport in 2012, including
€625,000 in carding payments to athletes and €1 million to Paralympics
Ireland for its activities programme and administration.
Would like to thank
 Liam Harbison – (CEO of Paralympic Ireland)
 James Gradwell (President Paralympics Ireland)
 Nancy Chillingworth (Performance Director)
 for their kind invitation here today
Wish you all well with your preparations for the Summer Paralympic
Games in London later this year.
Finally, want to congratulate
 the 49 athletes on their selection for the
 London 2012 Games.
Huge honour to represent your country at such a high level
Family and friends should be very proud.
Our athletes great ambassadors for Ireland and for their sports
I would like to give my very best wishes to the team and wish them the very
best of luck in the Games.