Sports bodies’ backing for Varadkar

EVENTS in Cardiff, Croke Park and Cheltenham may be uppermost in most minds this month but Irish sport claimed its most important victory of the year yesterday when it was retained at the cabinet table by the new Government.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny revealed the welcome news shortly before 6pm when announcing that Dublin West TD Leo Varadkar is to serve as Minister for the newly-constituted Department of Tourism, Transport and Sport.

Under the previous administration, sport had been grouped in with tourism as well as arts but there were fears that the sector could be relieved of the cabinet seat which it had held since 1997.