Statement from Mr Kieran Mulvey at the ISC Funding Announcement

03 Mar 2011


Statement from Mr Kieran Mulvey, Chairman, Irish Sports Council at the ISC Funding Announcement, February 17, 2011.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen


Today I am announcing significant funding for National Governing Bodies of Sport, including high performance, and Local Sports Partnerships for 2011. Initially it is important that I thank Minister Mary Hanafin and the officials at the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport for ensuring that the Council has a substantial budget to invest in sport this year.


This funding is vital because in 2011 the Irish Sports Council will lead a productive sports sector that

  • employs 38,000 people,
  • generates 2% of all Irish consumer spending,
  • contributes 1.4% of GDP and
  • provides the Exchequer with €149 for every €100 invested by the State


The Council has a direct impact on the sector through its investment strategy and by the direct provision services to sports bodies.


The Irish Sports Council invests three euro in participation for every euro invested in high performance. This is because;

  • There is an established link between improved health and participation in sport.
  • Three quarters of all children participate in sport twice a week with increases recorded since 2004.
  • The proportion of adults (aged 16 and over) who actively participated in sport rose significantly between 2008 and 2009, from 30.8% to 33.5%.
  • Sport is the biggest generator of social capital in Ireland, with an economic value estimated at €500 million


In 2011 the Council will invest more than €20 million in 60 national governing bodies of sport. This includes the money announced today for 57 NGBs and the three major field sports; GAA, FAI and IRFU. Together they deliver an impressive array of programmes and services to the 550,000 children and 1,100,000 adults who are members of sports clubs.


The 32 Local Sports Partnerships, established by the Irish Sports Council, are essential to providing participation opportunities in sport. Their focus is on disadvantaged groups in the community with restricted access to sport. 112,000 people participating in 744 directly delivered sports programmes in 2009.


17 Sports Inclusion Disability Officers (SIDOs) work with the Partnerships to provide opportunities for people with a disability. The "SIDOs" are showing very positive results in their work with the community's most vulnerable members.


"Link2BActive" is being rolled out nationally by the Sports Partnerships to ensure newly-unemployed people will stay engaged in sport.


There is a huge opportunity to utilise the built infrastructure to engage with the unemployed and avoid some of the
negative social consequences of the recession.


24,000 older people participate annually in physical activity programmes delivered by more than 850 active retirement groups around Ireland under the Go for Life scheme operated by the Irish Sports Council in partnership with Age & Opportunity.


The National Trails Office, an initiative of the Irish Sports Council, is the key agency in developing a network of accessible and usable walkways. Walking is a critical component of the physical activity mix with the proportion of adults who walked regularly increasing between 2008 and 2009 from 57.5% to 60.5%. 366,000 visitors in 2009 said that Ireland's suitability as a location for walking & hiking were important in their choice of holiday destination. The Irish Sports Council plays an active role in developing outdoor recreation for the community and the tourist market.


The safety of children in sport is paramount. The Irish Sports Council provides leadership, support and resources to sports in their efforts to provide a safe environment for children in sport through the Code of Ethics and Good Practice in Children's Sport and the rollout of Garda Vetting throughout Irish sport.


The Irish Sports Council, with the Department of Education, is developing sports programmes for vulnerable children through the network of DEIS schools. The Sports Partnerships will work with the existing education networks to deliver new programmes.


The concept to use sport as the mechanism to keep disadvantaged children engaged in education. The investment of the Irish Sports Council in high performance sport over the past decade is delivering success. In 2010 Irish athletes won 30 medals in eight sports at major championship level. The equivalent figure in 2006 was 9 medals. 2010 highlights included 5 medals for the Irish team at the European Boxing Championships and the successes of Katie Taylor, Derval O'Rourke and Grainne Murphy, The Irish Sports Council is committed to its investment strategy in high performance sport especially as the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games are so close.


The Institute of Sport at Abbotstown is a critical element of the construction of a sustainable high performance system. The Institute is delivering world-class technical services directly to athlete, coaches and sports from its two locations of University of Limerick and Abbotstown.


I want to highlight the important work of Coaching Ireland, now operating an all island basis. For every participant, regardless of standard, age or sport, the relationship with the coach is vital. Coaching Ireland's work, for example with the Adventure Sports Framework and with FETAC in aligning coach and tutor education to the Irish education framework, is developing a hugely important resource for sport.


The Irish Sport Anti-Doping Programme is a world leader in the area. The Irish Sports Council is very proud of its anti-doping work and will continue to ensure that Irish sport is drug free.


Irish sport has a positive impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of Irish people. 1.1 million adults play sport at least once a week, 270,000 adults volunteer in sport weekly, 560,000 adults regular attend sporting events and 980,000 watched the 2010 All Ireland
Hurling Final on RTE.


The Irish Sports Council, through its investment strategies and its direct work with organisations, is a vital element of this vibrant and valuable sports sector.


Thank You


* Please note this speech draws from the numerous research publications commissioned by the Irish Sports Council in recent years. This material is available on www.irishsporstcouncil.ie.