Minister of State for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht, Thomas Byrne T.D., has today (16 May 2024) confirmed Ireland’s accession to the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (‘EPAS’), the Council of Europe’s platform for intergovernmental sports co-operation.
EPAS was founded in May 2007 to foster and enhance cooperation on European sporting issues. It is focused on making sport fairer, more inclusive and safer. Ireland will become the 41st member of EPAS, with the other members coming from across Europe and neighbouring regions. Minister Byrne previously wrote to the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, to formally notify the Council of Europe of Ireland’s intention to join EPAS.
Welcoming the announcement, Minister Byrne said: “Irish people have a great passion for sport, so it is hugely important for us to ensure that the Irish voice in sport is heard, both at a European and international level. Through our membership of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport, Ireland can advance the interests of sport, while also having the opportunity to benefit from the exchange of international best practice. Issues such as gender equality, anti-doping and the implementation of ethical values in sport have been to the fore of the Council of Europe’s sport agenda. These issues are also matters of deep interest to the Irish sport sector and I am determined to ensure that Ireland’s voice features prominently in the discussions around them.”