Back in the day of Olympic Boycotts and Rugby tours to apartheid South Africa there were those who said that sport and politics should never be mixed.
Now more than ever sport is our one universal language, our shared experience as communities and a nation. How could it be divorced from politics in its widest sense, the way we govern and organise ourselves.
In seven days time we will go to the polls to elect a Government. If you think it’s not worth the trouble of casting a vote, shame on you in this year commemorating the sacrifice that our forefathers and mothers made to give us that right. 100 years ago women had no right to vote. To fail to do so now would be a double insult to the memory of those who went before us. If you are feeling disconnected and cannot vote for anyone who put themselves up for election, go and spoil your vote, but go regardless.
That’s the soapbox lecture out of the way, now who should we vote for on the basis of sporting promises? We will not pretend to steer you one way or another for every local cause is different but if you are reading this it is likely you have a passion for sport and so you should make sure to express that, especially if you are one of the 50% of use that will meet a candidate in the run up to casting our vote.
Sport features stronger in election promises this year than may have ever been the case before. More money has been spent on it than before, over €200 million this year gathering together money for National Governing Bodies, Capital investment programmes, horse and greyhound racing and more.
Higher up the agenda
That moves it higher up the agenda, as does the growing recognition of sport and physical activity as a preventative measure in tackling challenges in physical and mental wellbeing. That is a good thing.
We have scoured over 1,000 pages of party political manifestos to see what is being promised for sport from those who would seek to govern. We are pleased that there is a consensus that sport is more important in our society than might have previously been seen as the case.
The Government parties can lay claim to having delivered better in this area than before, which is as true of comparison to their own previous stints in power as of their more immediate historic rivals.
There is a bit of work needs though in measuring their respective ‘fiscal spaces’. Fine Gael claim that three successive Capital Sports Grant programmes have delivered €130 million. Labour calls out the figure as €110 million. Sure what’s €20 million between friends.
Both list an array of achievements and promises in sport though that is impressive in terms of the priority it gets.
Both talk of the importance of sports tourism with Fine Gael stating that
“We believe that Ireland is a fantastic location for activity and sport based tourism and we will work with Fáilte Ireland to help them develop this sector further. As well as looking to grow the thriving marine, golf and angling sector, there is significant potential growth in the areas of cycling, sailing, running and in adventure sports.”
Labour goes further saying:
“Ireland has succeeded in attracting major international sporting events such as the Giro D’ltalia and the Women’s Rugby World Cup. We will continue
to support other bids, including the 2023 Men’s Rugby World Cup. We will also establish a specific sports bidding entity to facilitate bidding for events across all sporting organisations in partnership with Fáilte Ireland and Sport Ireland. We will put a comprehensive sports tourism policy at the heart of the new national sports policy.”
Fine Gael also promises to ensure Sports Capital Grants are delivered on an annual basis; that a fund will be created to support clearly defined programmes increasing participation, particularly among women and disadvantaged groups; that the National Sports Campus will be completed with a National Indoor Arena, Velodrome and Badminton Centre; and in a timely contribution that Concussion will be highlighted as an area where robust research and practices will be enabled through Government support.
Labour promises that the Capital Grants will continue and that there will be a dedicated stream for joint applications from sports clubs and schools.
It urges an even more inclusive sports culture and ‘will continue to invest in Special Olympics Ireland, and to increase participation, particularly participation of women and girls in sport and in sport governing bodies.’
Fianna Fáil says it will develop a National Sports Masterplan for re-balancing both current and capital investment in sports; that it will make two hours Physical Activity mandatory in schools, and introduce new intra-curricular Sports Classes. It also promises to phase out alcohol sponsorship of sport and conduct an audit of NAMA properties to see if any are suitable to be repurposed for sport and recreation facilities.
Sinn Féin is less specific in the commitments we can see but does make a promise that it will invest an additional €42 million in sport at community level.
Renua makes a somewhat eclectic play for the hose racing vote promising to raise betting duty from 1% to 3% and ring fencing that for the industry and also talks of a tax incentive scheme to draw investment into equestrian sport with a target of garnering medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Sport does not feature in any other way in their manifesto.
The Green Party have a strong focus on cyclin, walking and active transport.
The Social Democrats make no mention of sport, neither do People Before Profit and the various promises of Independents will need to be researched by you on an individual constituency basis.
Political promises can be elusive to pin down after an election but the fact they have been made is a positive. We need to ask the questions of those who seek our vote so that sport and the many and varied benefits it brings to society will continue an upward trajectory in our political thinking.
We will not tell you who to vote for. That should be your call but please do vote.
And on a final note good luck to all those candidates who have put their lives on hold to do some public service.
That’s what democracy is and if you really don’t think much of those who would seek to govern than you could always stand yourself.
