Ní Chuilin congratulates Aisling Reilly on winning US Open Handball Championship

Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has congratulated Belfast’s Aisling Reilly on winning the 2015 US Open of Handball.

 

Aisling adds the US title to the world and all-Ireland championships already secured this year.

 

Hailing Aisling’s achievement, Minister Ní Chuilín said: “The US championship title caps what has already been a phenomenal year for Aisling Reilly. Aisling is once again showing how Belfast and the north can produce the world’s best sportspeople.

 

“I had the pleasure of meeting Aisling at the recent opening of the new Béal na Carraige Handball Courts in west Belfast. She is an inspiration to girls who want to get into sport, and handball is easy to pick up and accessible to all.

 

“I commend Aisling’s club, St Paul’s GAC, and the work of the GAA in promoting handball to men and women across Ireland.”

 

Notes to editors

1.    More information on handball is available at http://www.gaahandball.ie/

2.    Media enquiries should be addressed to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure Press Office by telephoning 028 9051 5047 or email DCAL Communications communications@dcalni.gov.uk. For out of office hours queries please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.

Ní Chuilín congratulates McKillop and Smyth on world gold medals

Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has congratulated Jason Smyth and Michael McKillop on winning gold medals at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha.

Jason won the T13 100m title while Michael was victorious in the T38 800m event.

Congratulating the athletes the Minister said: “Once again Jason Smyth and Michael McKillop are world beaters. It is testament to their continued hunger for success, combined with dedication and hard work, that they have become so dominant in their events.

“Jason has successfully defended this title, having won it in Lyon in 2013, and it further bolsters his status as the fastest paralympian in the world after his 100m and 200m success in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Paralympic Games.

“Michael has now defended the 800m world title twice, having also won in Lyon and in Christchurch in 2011. He will run in the 1500m final this Friday as he bids to defend that title as well.

“Once again we are talking about local athletes at the very pinnacle of their sports. I congratulate Jason and Michael wholeheartedly and pay tribute to their coaches, friend and families who support them throughout the year.”

The Minister also commended Niamh McCarthy of Cork on securing Team Ireland’s first medal of the Championships, a bronze in F41 discus, yesterday.

The Minister added: “Niamh McCarthy opened Ireland’s medal account at the Championships with bronze in her discus event, a fantastic debut for her at World Championship level.

“I commend Paralympics Ireland for the work they do in developing athletes from right across the island. They are an inspiration to people of all abilities. Hopefully we can see the Ireland team add to the medal tally before these Championships are over.

“We can also look forward to the Paralympic Games in Rio next year with excitement and genuine medal hopes.”

Notes to editors

1.    More information on the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships is available at http://www.paralympic.org/doha-2015

2.    Media enquiries should be addressed to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure Press Office by telephoning 028 9051 5047 or email DCAL Communications communications@dcalni.gov.uk. For out of office hours queries please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.

Artists, politicians & communities must work together and make life better - Ní Chuilín

Culture Minister, Carál Ní Chuilín, today responded to comments made in the media about the Arts.

Minister Ní Chuilín said: “Austerity is not the choice of my party or indeed any of the parties in the Executive. I am aware that the arts community and those who avail of their services are currently facing serious difficulties and challenges. 

“Hundreds of millions of pounds in cuts by the Conservative Government in London have continued to erode the block grant, impacting on the Executive’s ability to deliver core frontline public services. In the past I have been able to bid for additional funds but with frontline services now under intense pressure as a result of the British government’s cuts there are no additional monies. 

“My priority is to support those who are most in need in our society, for example, people who face exclusion, suffer from poor mental health or severe physical disability. I do not apologise for this. 

“Many within our society have been ignored and still struggle against the worst impacts of deprivation. My colleagues and I will continue to challenge this. I remain committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society and since I became Minister in DCAL I have been determined that arts and culture are a means to promote equality and tackle poverty and social exclusion.

“Access to arts, culture and language is a right for everyone. It is not a privilege. We can all agree that arts and culture deliver a range of benefits to people who participate and engage in them. In the coming weeks I will bring forward a ten-year inter-departmental Strategy for Culture and Arts for public consultation.

“In my time as Minister, I have:

· provided the Arts Council with £72m in funding;

· supported major capital projects such as the Lyric and the MAC – almost £11m in capital funding to the MAC;

· secured £200,000 capital for the purchase of the Wheelworks ArtCart, a fully accessible mobile arts vehicle with the latest software and digital technology which delivers directly to communities;

· secured almost £400,000 for the purchase and refurbishment of the Beat Carnival premises in the Lower Shankill;

· supported the City of Culture, providing £6.5m in 2012/13 and £5.8m in 2013/14 (a total of £12.3m) in funding. Up to 1 million people attended or participated in events throughout the period;

· supported and will continue to support a number of programmes in the North West to embed a lasting legacy of the City of Culture, allocating an additional £6m between January 2014 and March 2015. This includes support for community cultural activity, capacity building and key events in the North West; 

· put in place a culture programme last year and have made available £200,000 this year. This is a cross-community programme of arts and cultural events and festivals delivered by cultural partners from across Belfast and also for the first time from a rural area. The programme will celebrate all cultural traditions on a co-ordinated and inclusive basis, with a primary focus on targeting deprived communities;

· ensured that funding of £200,000 has been made available this year to community festivals, including Féile an Phobail, ArtsEkta, Shankill Spectrum Centre, Belfast Film Festival, Eastside Arts. These festivals bring arts and culture right into the heart of the community.

“These examples are just a snapshot of what my Department is delivering in arts and culture. 

“My Department has also directly supported, and continues to support, a range of projects and groups right across the north that are bringing arts and culture to, among others, children and young people in care, prisoners and ex-prisoners, people with mental health issues, older people and people with physical disabilities. These are communities too.

“In addition, I am bringing forward a project focused directly at children in care to allow them to access and enjoy digital arts facilities as well as a scheme to give homeless people opportunities to participate in the arts.

“Through my work as an Executive Minister and also as a political representative I have been privileged to meet and work with a great number of people over the years. Artists are an integral part of the community and I will continue to champion the rights of all to take part in, to enjoy and access the arts.

“We still have a society where there is a widening gap between those who are more affluent and those less well off. This is leading to increasing levels of poverty. It is only by directly tackling inequalities that we will ever manage to change this. 

“In conclusion, I would suggest that we should work together and create an anti-austerity alliance which will champion the protection of essential public services. It is easy to criticise and destroy, it is harder to build. It
is only through working together that we improve things and I am keen to ensure that artists, politicians and communities come together and make life better for all of the public.”

O’Dowd congratulates local teachers on winning teaching Oscars

Education Minister, John O’Dowd, congratulates two local teachers on winning gold at the Pearson teaching awards 2015 in recognition of their excellent teaching practices.  

Dinah MacManus, Holy Family Primary School, won Head Teacher of the Year in a primary school and Miriam Donnan, Fleming Fulton, has been awarded Special Needs Teacher of the year.

Speaking today, Minister O’Dowd said: “I congratulate Dinah MacManus and Miriam Donnan on achieving these awards, which are known in education circles as teaching Oscars.  

"This is a great personal honour and a tribute to the endeavours of both teachers.  The awards are also an accolade the schools involved and indeed to the quality of teaching in the north of Ireland.”

The Awards honour outstanding teachers and teaching and highlight just how vital success in education is to the health and wealth of country.

In conclusion the Minister said: “It is great to see our local teaching staff considered in such high regard by their colleagues, parents and indeed the pupils.”

Notes to editors:

1. The Teaching Awards were established in 1999 by Lord Puttnam CBE.  The Teaching Awards process offers the public the opportunity to recognise the teacher who has helped them most, through an on-line registration of their thanks. 

2. Out of sixty four categories, two local teachers were successful in receiving a “Silver” award which were announced in June this year. They were:

· Dinah MacManus, Principal of Holy Family Primary School, Belfast who won the Award for Head Teacher of the Year in a Primary School; and

· Miriam Donnan, Fleming Fulton School, Belfast who won the Award for Special Needs Teacher of the Year.

3. All “Silver” winners are eligible to be considered for a “Gold Plato” award.  

4. Out of only eleven Gold Awards, both Dianah and Miriam have been successful.  

5. The Gold Plato winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held on Sunday 18 October at London’s Royal Opera House, hosted by TV historian Dan Snow. It will be broadcast on BBC2 at 6.00pm on 25 October as “Britain’s Classroom Heroes”.

6. The Department of Education’s ‘Education Works’ campaign promotes the value of education. This year’s campaign aims to ensure that parents have information on schooling and that they are aware of the steps they can take to ‘Get Involved’ and support their teenager in achieving good outcomes at school. Watch out for the ads on television, radio and outdoor locations. The campaign highlights the vital role families can play in helping children do well at school and improve their life chances. 

Visit http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/education-works  for more information or watch the TV ad on the Department’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheDeptofEducation

7. See photos from the Department of Education in our collection at http://www.flickr.com/niexecutive

8. Media enquiries to the Department of Education Press Office Tel: 028 9127 9207. Out of office hours, contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 99 715 440, and your call will be returned.