Ireland Active has launched a new Strategic Development Plan for 2026–2029, setting out an ambition to strengthen the voice of Ireland’s leisure, health and fitness sector while expanding its contribution to national physical activity and public health objectives.

The plan was unveiled by CEO Karl Dunne at the Ireland Active Conference at The Johnstown Estate in County Meath on Friday, 6 November, bringing a sharper focus to the role of facilities, operators and fitness professionals in helping more people become active.

Representing more than 450 organisations across publicly and privately operated leisure centres, swimming pools, health clubs, gyms and fitness providers, Ireland Active occupies an increasingly important position at the intersection of sport, business and preventative healthcare.

The sector estimates that approximately 550,000 people hold memberships of leisure, health and fitness facilities, while 300,000 adults swim weekly in Irish pools. It also supports approximately 10,000 jobs and generates an estimated €500 million annually for the economy.

Those figures illustrate the commercial and social importance of an industry that provides much of the infrastructure through which people engage in regular physical activity.

Four Pillars for Growth

The new strategy is built around four priorities: Membership, Partnership, Health & Physical Activity, and Standards.

The Membership pillar focuses on improving engagement and services for members, ensuring Ireland Active provides practical value to operators navigating changing consumer expectations, operating costs, staffing challenges and an increasingly competitive market.

Partnership seeks to establish a stronger collective voice for the sector, building relationships with Government, public agencies, sporting organisations and other stakeholders.

The Health & Physical Activity pillar positions the organisation and its members as important contributors to increasing participation and creating more opportunities for people to become active within their communities.

Standards completes the framework, with an emphasis on improving the quality and professionalism of leisure and fitness facilities and the wider exercise profession.

Together, the four pillars reflect a shift towards positioning the sector not simply as a collection of commercial and community facilities, but as a coordinated contributor to Ireland’s health, economic and sporting ambitions.

A Stronger Voice in National Policy

The partnership and physical activity priorities are particularly relevant given Government ambitions to increase participation and tackle physical inactivity.

Ireland Active has already been advocating for policies that recognise the preventative health benefits of exercise, including a proposed tax credit for gym and swimming pool memberships.

The organisation’s research, commissioned through RED C, suggested that 28 per cent of adults would be likely to take up a gym or swimming pool membership if such a tax credit were introduced.

Although the proposal was not included in Budget 2026, Ireland Active has continued to make the case for incentives that encourage physical activity and potentially reduce longer-term demands on the health system.

The new strategic plan provides a framework for developing that advocacy alongside existing relationships with Sport Ireland, Healthy Ireland, Swim Ireland and other stakeholders.

It also reinforces the importance of ensuring that public policy recognises the contribution made by both commercial and publicly operated facilities.

Building on 25 Years of Standards

The strategy was launched as Ireland Active celebrated 25 years of its National Quality Standard programme, originally introduced as the White Flag Awards in 2001.

Over that period, the programme has helped establish benchmarks for the management, safety and quality of leisure and fitness facilities across Ireland.

Maintaining standards as a core strategic pillar recognises the importance of consumer confidence, professional development and operational excellence as the sector continues to evolve.

Ireland Active also oversees REPs Ireland, the Register of Exercise Professionals, providing another route to support education, professional recognition and workforce development.

The combination of facility accreditation and professional standards offers an opportunity to strengthen the sector’s reputation among consumers, policymakers and potential commercial partners.

A Changing Sector with Greater Ambition

The launch comes at a time when the definition of fitness and physical activity is broadening.

Traditional gyms and swimming pools are increasingly part of a wider market encompassing personal wellbeing, preventative healthcare, workplace wellness, community inclusion and active ageing.

For operators, this creates opportunities to develop new services, strengthen relationships with employers and public bodies, and reach audiences who may not previously have considered themselves regular users of fitness facilities.

It also places greater importance on partnerships, workforce skills and maintaining consistent standards.

The strategy was unveiled during a period of leadership change for Ireland Active, with Sandra Dunne succeeding John Windle as Chairperson.

For Karl Dunne and the organisation’s membership, the next four years will be an opportunity to translate the strategic framework into stronger representation, greater engagement and tangible improvements across the industry.

The central challenge will be demonstrating how the sector can contribute to healthier communities while remaining commercially sustainable and accessible to people of different ages, abilities and circumstances.

Ireland Active’s new plan makes clear that its ambitions extend beyond representing leisure and fitness operators.

It is seeking to establish the industry as an essential partner in building a healthier, more active Ireland.

 

 

 

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Image Credit: Ireland Active

 

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