Last night we covered the appointment of Patrick O’Donovan as the new Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport. Read More Here.
Having served as Minister of State for sport back in 2016 and 2017 he has experience of the brief and this was a time building up to the first ever National Sports Policy, as well as when we were recovering from the Rio Olympic scandal and pitching to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
In October 2016 Minister O’Donovan spoke at our Annual Women in Sport Conference, floating for the first time the idea that quota targets would be needed to improve gender balance in sporting leadership.
He also gave us a wide ranging and in-depth interview on his views on sport and the part which Government can play.
Reading back over it this morning it stands the test of time very well.
Here are some of the extracts from it:
What would be your view on the idea that we need more investment in people and programmes rather than pitches and dressing rooms?
This is not a question of either/or. I still see communities across country where they are struggling with poor facilities and not just in the inner cities. Often rural communities have the same problems with a lack of sports infrastructure for their young people and kids.
We do need to start looking at coaching too and sports partnerships are essential to this. There are plenty of examples of these partnerships doing fantastic work like the INTO and Cumann na mBunscol. Here teachers and GAA have taken the initiatives themselves to ensure there is another generation with the skills set to coach GAA teams.
In terms of a national conversation I also believe that more women should be involved in coaching and indeed sports as a whole.
These are life skills and it’s also really important that our girls and young women have female role models and coaches in sports to inspire them.
What can we expect from the new National Policy on Sport?
I’ll be launching the new National Policy on Sport shortly and then we will ask for input from those who are interested through a consultation process. I see it as plotting out the aspiration of where we want to go with sport and the map of how we get there.
The policy raises the bar on what we must do as a country and it also starts a conversation on how we value sport, participation in sport and how our citizens benefit.
I’d like to think that there will be plenty of discussions around the policy – not just with other politicians, although I would welcome that too. I’m listening to the governing bodies of sport and I’ve been at pains to meet them since taking up my post in May.
I need their help in terms of getting answers to the important questions about sport and I’d like to think that the National Policy on Sport will be the blueprint for future development of sport.
What is your own background in sport?
I’m probably one of the most unlikely people to have this job. Up until I was 16 or 17, I had severe asthma and didn’t know that I had it, so in terms of sport I got off to a bad start. I just wasn’t up to it – my lungs were crap.
I literally was the kid who was left to last as the two most sporty lads in the class picked the teams in school, usually having to listen to “God Sir, do we really have to take Patrick?.”
Later on, I took up swimming and cycling. I know now that if I had managed my asthma I would have been fine. But, in that sense, I’m probably no different to a whole pile of other people out there.
I know there are massive numbers of kids and adults who don’t manage their asthma, or other issues which may affect their ability to play sport properly – and look at times I’m still “too busy” to manage my asthma, which I know is a terrible excuse.
Sport for Business Members can log in and read the full interview from October 2016 here.
For a reminder on logging in go here.
SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
Patrick O’Donovan is an experienced Minister, and very familiar with the sports brief so is a good appointment from our perspective.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
Sport is expected to retain a Minister of State Position but that will not be confirmed for another week or so.
MEMBERSHIP AND EVENTS
The Department is an active member of the Sport for Business community.
The Sport for Business Membership comprises nearly 300 organisations, including all the leading sports and sponsors, as well as commercial and state agencies.
