To ask the Minister for Communities to outline any assessment he has made of the impact that the uncertainty around Sport NI funding is having on workforce retention.

Mr Lyons

I have made no such assessment, because I will not be in a position to determine the level of Exchequer funding for Sport NI until the Executive have agreed the Department's budget. The Member will be aware that Sport NI also disburses National Lottery funding, and that is operated independently of my Department. The chief executive officer of Sport NI has advised me that it issued a letter to sports bodies in December 2025 to advise that, in principle, it would continue funding at current investment levels in 2026-27, specifically to ensure that there was no uncertainty over Sport NI funding.

Mr Lyons

I just gave the answer to the Member. If he has —. Perhaps he should let me answer the question before shaking his head. It is always better to listen first. That is how Question Time should work. I am telling him that that is the letter that has been issued to the sports bodies. I was about to say that, if the Member wishes tell me which individual organisations did not get that guarantee, I will be happy to hear from him. He is shaking his head again, so he does not want to do that. I therefore say to any of the sports involved that have not yet got that assurance that they can bypass Mr Honeyford and get in contact with me directly.

Mr Bradley

We are talking about funding, so will the Minister provide an update on the Olympic legacy fund that he has rolled out?

Mr Lyons

Yes, I am delighted to. I have committed to recognising the remarkable achievements of our Olympians and Paralympians at the Paris games in 2024. We all remember the incredible sporting moments and the incredible medal haul, which, I know, will encourage future generations to reach the pinnacle of their sport. We are building on that legacy by providing £1 million of capital funding to create new opportunities for people of all ages and of all abilities to take part in sport in their local area. Although "Olympic" is in the title of the fund, the projects are not solely for Olympic sports. The legacy fund is there to support all sports at the grassroots level and to encourage continued growth and participation. Sport NI has already approved 37 projects across nine different sports and 11 council areas, and an additional 39 projects are being held in reserve.

Mr McNulty

I am sure that the Minister will agree that further uncertainty over sports funding will have impacts way beyond workforce retention and affect participation and competitiveness. Will he provide an update on commitments to introduce a multi-year funding programme for NI? Moreover, can he assure us that sport will not be the poor relation for him and the Executive?

Mr Lyons

It certainly has not been. The Member can see the actions that I have taken so far for sport. I have introduced the Olympic medallist fund and the Olympic legacy fund and am making sure that we are focusing on where we can get more people involved in sport. I was also delighted to increase the budget for the Your School Your Club programme. In the year that I took office, the budget for that programme was £500,000. It has now been brought up to £3 million because it invests in our school estate and allows more people to take part in sport after the time that the school gates normally close. I have, therefore, done everything that I can within my budget to make sure that we promote sport. I also want to see a multi-year programme, but it needs to be one that works for the people of Northern Ireland.