To ask the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure for an update on the measures taken by her Department to achieve the ‘Sport Matters’ commitment to increase sports participation amongst women, older people and people with disabilities.

Progress against the targets set out in the Sport Matters Strategy is monitored by the Sports Matters Monitoring Group (SMMG), which I chair. Following the SMMG meeting in November 2013, the Group agreed to the publication of the annual ‘Sport Matters Implementation Group Progress Report’ for the period October 2012 to September 2013.

This report details activities and progress against all the targets within the Sport Matters Strategy, including those to increase sports participation amongst women, older people and people with disabilities. Currently, the targets to increase participation amongst adults, women and older people are deemed to be on track. The target to increase participation amongst people with disabilities is deemed to be on track, but with some delay.

Examples of activities to address these targets include Sport NI’s Active Communities Programme, Active Clubs Programme, Disability Sport NI’s Disability 5 Star Challenge and ongoing investment in sporting facilities which are accessible by all members of local communities. The report is available on the DCAL website through the following link: www.dcalni.gov.uk/sport_matters_progress_report_2012-2013.pdf

The next annual progress report will be considered by the SMMG at its meeting in December 2014 and will be made publically available at that time.