There was a sense of evolution rather than revolution in Minister Paschal Donohoe’s first major speech to the Leaders of Irish sport yesterday.
In the current calendar year the Government will have invested €114 million in sport through direct funding for National Governing Bodies and athletes as well as the third round of Capital Sports Funding.
“The return on that investment can be seen through 1.7 million of our citizens participating regularly in physical activity,” he said addressing 170 leaders from sport at the Federation of Irish Sport Annual Conference in the Guinness Storehouse.
“In 2011 the percentage of active people was less than 45%, in 2013 it was over 47% and that steady progress, captured through the Irish Sports Monitor, will have a lasting impact on the health of the nation as well as in many other areas including our reputation around the world.”
Sporting announcements
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport has had a busy nine months since taking on the role, his first in cabinet and many of the sporting announcements have been left to the Minister for State with responsibility for Sport, Michael Ring.
Yesterday was about reassurance that sport matters at cabinet level within Government.
“There are a number of key areas that we have focused on and will continue to give prominence to over the next 12 months and beyond.”
“Increasing Participation is central to that.”
The Joy that Sport brings
“When I was a child sport was not a big thing for me because of Asthma. I didn’t get to experience first hand the joy that sport brings today to my children and millions of others.”
“In my final year at school though I was determined to complete ‘the bogies’ an annual run around John Paul Park in Cabra.”
“I started well but began to fall back and could easily have quit.”
“I didn’t though. This was something that really mattered to me and I wanted to cross the line. As I came around trees and saw the finish line ahead of me I heard a cheer and saw that all my classmates and teachers had waited to bring me home over those last 100 metres.”
Inclusion
“That’s a memory that will last with me forever and showed me the phenomenal importance of what sport can achieve by way of inclusion.”
“I see it now on the side of GAA pitches as I watch my son playing football for Na Fianna. And in the dedication of my daughter and her friends as they throw themselves into Gymnastics.”
“Participation is enhanced through having great facilities and over the course of this Government we have seen the steady rising of the National Sports Campus.”
“It has taken smart management of resources and careful planning of quality facilities across a range of sports, from the only Modern Pentathlon Centre in Europe where all disciplines can be trained for in one location, to a national diving centre, with no water, and an Equestrian Arena that was planned and delivered to perfection.”
Centres of Excellence
“The big field sports are currently engaged in developing their centres of excellence and the Campus has become something of which the nation can be rightly proud.”
“The Sport Ireland Act will be an important element of the next year’s work.”
“I will shortly be appointing an interim CEO to oversee the new structures coming to life and drawing all our investment and smart application of sport together.”
“The Public Appointments Board will then seek talented Board members on the new body to bring together all that sport has to offer, and all that is great about the way we organise sport in this country.”
National Sports policy
“Another element that will be important is the publication of our National Physical Activity plan and National Sports Policy.”
“This will give us a framework for sport over the next decade, giving us a cross sectoral look at how we can leverage the work being done and make it of greater strategic benefit.”
“We know that Ireland can do sport well.”
“The bid from the FAI and Dublin City Council to win the hosting of the European Championships in 2020 was rightly praised. We have since won the right to host the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2017 and this Government is committed to major support of the bid to stage the Rugby World Cup itself, one of the biggest gatherings in World sport, in 2023.”
“In addition we are pleased that Dun Laoghaire Golf Club will host the Curtis Cup in 2026 and attracting major events like these to our island is of great importance.”
“Sport brings together everything that’s great about our country and Government supports that in ways that do, and will continue to make a real difference.”
Sometimes we look for the big announcement, the game changer in a state of the nation speech like this. Some within sport might have wished for a big announcement on tax status that could massively increase the value of funds going into sport.
Steady as she goes
That was not part of yesterday though. This was a reflection on where we have got to, on the significant achievements made over the last five years and a sense of steady as she goes about what the next 12 months will deliver. If participation and performance continue to improve as they look like doing, and as more and more events are both held here and genuinely competed for by Irish athletes abroad, then that is indeed a legacy that will look well when reviewed in the future.
