# The Recreation and Youth Service (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, Article 3: The Sports Council


(1) The council for the furtherance of sport and physical recreation known as the Sports Council for Northern Ireland shall continue in being as such.
(2) The Sports Council shall be constituted in accordance with Part I of Schedule 1 and Part II of that Schedule shall apply to it.
(3) The functions of the Sports Council shall, in accordance with arrangements approved by the Department, be—
(a) on matters relating to sport and physical recreation, to advise the Department and other government departments, education and library boards, district councils and other bodies interested in sport and physical recreation;
(b) to encourage the provision of facilities for, and participation in, sport and physical recreation;
(c) to assist, subject to paragraph (4)—
(i) the provision of administrative services, equipment, coaching and instruction; and
(ii) the organising or supporting of, or participating in, international or other events,
by bodies providing facilities for sport or physical recreation or organising such activities; and
(d) to assist, subject to paragraph (4), bodies providing supportive services in connection with sport and physical recreation.
(4) Except with the consent of the Department, the Sports Council shall not under paragraph (3)(c) or (d) assist by way of financial contributions any body which is not a voluntary organisation.
(5) For the purposes of its functions, the Sports Council, with the approval of the Department, may—
(a) receive donations and make charges for its services;
(b) organise, or assist in the organisation of, conferences, courses of training, sport and physical recreation;
(c) provide and manage, or assist in the provision and management of, centres for sport and physical recreation;
(d) print, publish and disseminate information relating to sport and physical recreation;
(e) visit other parts of the United Kingdom and other countries;
(f) co-operate with other bodies in the exercise or pursuit of any of its functions;
(g) carry out, or assist or co-operate with other persons in carrying out, research into and studies concerning matters relating to sport and physical recreation.
(6) The Department may appoint assessors to the Sports Council and such assessors shall have the right to receive notice of and to attend meetings of the Council and to speak but not to vote at any such meeting.
(7) The Department may, notwithstanding the provisions of any enactment rendering the performance of a function contingent upon the opinion of the Sports Council, give such directions as to the performance of the functions of the Sports Council as appear to the Department to be expedient and where the Sports Council fails to carry out any of its functions under this Order, the Department may direct it to carry out those functions and the direction may specify how the functions are to be carried out.
(8) The Sports Council shall comply with any direction given to it under paragraph (7).
Para. (9) rep. by 1996 NI 17

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1986/2232/article/3 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/recreation-and-youth-service-northern-ireland-order-1986/article-3
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.