By Elaine Loughlin, political reporter
One Labour Minister has a star supporter who has been helping him score a few goals against the opposition this morning.
Ireland football player and manager, Johnny Giles, took part in a street kick-about with Aodhán ó Ríordáin at the launch of Labour’s sports policy.
Mr Giles said: “I am supporting Aodhán and it goes back to when Aodhán was headmaster in Sheriff Street and he wasn’t a politician at the time.
“So we go back a few years, I felt from the start that Aodhán was a good guy.
“I think he did a great job in Sheriff Street, he was in a working class area, he was head school teacher there.
"I liked him and I didn’t know he was going to go into politics, but I still like him," he joked.
“I would hope Aodhán gets in and continues to do the good job that he does,” he said.
Mr Ó Ríordáin said sports should be at the heart of every community right across the country,.
“Labour also acknowledges the growing role of sports tourism within our economy and will put a comprehensive sports tourism policy at the heart of our national sports policy.
“If returned to government, Labour will continue to boost sports funding in local communities through the Sports Capital Programme and reform the programme’s operations to prioritise joint funding applications between local clubs and schools or youth organisations.
“This, along with the rollout of the new National Physical Activity Plan, will make it easier than ever for people, especially young people, to get involved and develop a lifelong engagement with sport,” he said.
