Debate contribution: Olympic Legacy Fund
Debate contribution by Mr Gordon Lyons on .
- MLA
- Mr Gordon Lyons
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 16 September 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Ministerial Statements
- Heading
- Olympic Legacy Fund
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5111143
Read the official Assembly record
Text
My goodness, we have a positive Mr McNulty today. He is in good form. That is great to see. Of course, is it any wonder that he is in good form? We have a good announcement and a Minister who is driving forward investment in sport and looking at new and innovative ways to ensure that sport is funded in a way that makes a difference to communities across Northern Ireland. Yes, I will be — oh, there we have it: typical negativity from Mr Durkan, who is shaking his head. I am very positive about what we are able to do. We will get on and deliver it. Mr McNulty is absolutely right to say that this should be for supporting people of all ages and from all backgrounds across all sports. I look forward to doing that.
The fund is open to everybody, and everybody can apply for funding on an equal basis. Any issues that arise will be considered as part of the monitoring process, which can be reviewed if necessary. The fund is, however, open to everybody on an equal basis to apply for funding at levels from £1,000 to £50,000. I am confident in the requirements, but any changes that are needed will, of course, be made.
First, I welcome the Member's comments welcoming the fund. Mr Gaston makes a fair point. Under the arrangements that followed on from the Good Friday Agreement, people have the right to identify with whichever country they want to represent.
There was sniggering and shaking of heads on the other side of the Chamber. I am fed up with those who talk most about the need to show respect not themselves showing respect. Everybody should be free to have the opportunity to represent Ireland or Team GB and NI. We should not snigger at the fact that some people want to have that choice. Unfortunately, some people do not have that choice, as barriers are sometimes put in the way. The issues are not straightforward — there are complexities — but I am working on issues in a number of sports to make sure that we can find a way through. Some of it, because of the way in which governing bodies work, has to be worked out at an international level, but people absolutely should be able to represent, play for and compete for whichever team they want, and that choice should be respected.
I hope that the Member recognises that it is new and innovative. We are trying to get more out of the money that we have. We went with Crowdfunder UK so that we could do that and because of its experience. I am confident that the partnership will enable us to get more for the money that we put into it. If the Member has specific concerns to raise, I am happy to take them on board.
I welcome the Member's welcome for the work to improve investment in sport in Northern Ireland. He is right in saying that there is no closing date. It is a rolling programme, so it will be up to clubs to make sure that they put in place the extra support that is required for the funding to be issued. We know the difference that funding can make to clubs that often feel that they do not have avenues for funding. I want to change that, and today is the start of that.
575 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.23 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- The text criticises or condemns the framing or division (0.60).
- Subject area: Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.21 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.04 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.37 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.10 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.35 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.52 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.23 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing | 0.38 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.01 |
| Criticises or condemns it (chosen) | 0.60 |
| Adopts it | 0.01 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.63 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.32 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.02 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.02 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.01 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:12 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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