To ask the Minister for Communities to detail any action his Department took during 2024 to implement recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in relation to children’s rights to rest, leisure and recreation, particularly with reference to provision of sports facilities and instruction.

The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of adequate local facilities for recreational, social, physical and cultural activities, including provision for children’s recreation, lies with the relevant local authority, in accordance with Article 10 of the Recreation and Youth Service (Northern Ireland) Order 1986.

The NI Strategy for Sport and Physical Activity - Active Living has key themes to increase participation opportunities in sport and physical activity for everyone, including children, and also a key theme on the importance of developing/improving sporting facilities. These are key areas for my Department and in 2024/25 £2million exchequer funding has been invested in these areas via Sport NI.

Additionally, the Neighbourhood Renewal programme delivers a range of area-based initiatives designed to address spatial concentrations of deprivation. It does not specifically address children’s leisure and recreation although a number of funded projects provide personal development though sporting activities across a wide range of ages, including children and young people:

Community Sports Network – grant funding in 2024/25 of £44,708.73.

Belfast Activity Centre – grant funding in 2024/25 of £132,984.27.

The two figures above are the total grant funding to each organisation. It is not possible to breakdown funding solely related to children’s leisure and recreation.