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Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD, and Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, extended their best wishes to the 77 members of Team Ireland as they prepare to compete at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro from 5 to 25 August.

The Ministers were speaking ahead of their attendance at the Rio Games to represent the Government.

Minister Ross said: “I would like to extend my very best wishes to Team Ireland for the Rio Olympic Games. Ireland’s sporting prowess has come to be renowned internationally, with both those who compete and those who support our competitors, being held in high regard by all who encounter them. I wish to applaud the hard work, training and commitment of the team, their coaches and officials in preparing for the Rio Games. We have a very strong team of 77 athletes across 13 sports and I am looking forward to attending some of the events at the Rio Games and cheering on Team Ireland. I know the team will do the whole country proud over the next three weeks.”

Minister O’Donovan said: “Our elite athletes continue to show themselves as great ambassadors and role models for sport and for Ireland when they compete on the international stage. Ireland has enjoyed recent Olympic success in boxing and equestrian and I am also very excited to see Irish athletes competing in more diverse sports such as diving and gymnastics. I wish Team Ireland the very best of luck and I look forward to attending some of the events at the Rio Games in which Irish athletes are competing. I hope that all our Olympic athletes will be trailblazers for more young people to participate in sport and to reach the heights of the Olympic Games in years to come.”

Both Ministers added their support for the global fight against doping in sport.
“We look forward to supporting not just the athletes representing Ireland, but all of the clean athletes and competitors in Rio. We sincerely hope they will be performing in a doping free environment. Illegal performance enhancing substances are, to our mind, the biggest threat to the integrity of sport and we welcome all initiatives and measures, at a national level, and internationally, to protect that integrity and to protect clean athletes.”

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Press Office, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport 01 604 1090 / 01 604 1093 www.dttas.ie pressoffice@dttas.ie

Notes for Editors
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Mr Shane Ross TD, along with the Minister of State with responsibility for Tourism and Sport, Mr Patrick O’Donovan TD, will be attending the Rio Olympic Summer games. 206 countries are participating in the games and each country is expected to be represented by its Government.

Minister O’Donovan will attend the games’ Opening Ceremony on 5 August and will remain at the games until his return on 9 August. Minister O’Donovan will be accompanied by a departmental official during his time in Rio. Minister Ross will attend the games from 15 August and will remain at the games until the Games’ Closing Ceremony on 22 August. He will be accompanied by the departmental official and by his wife during his time in Rio. There will be no cost to the exchequer relating to Minister Ross’s wife’s attendance at the games.

Both ministers avail of hotel accommodation which was block booked by the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) in expectation of Government representative attendance at the Rio games. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport will reimburse the OCI for cost of the hotel accommodation.