ISC Local Sports Partnerships to become National Network in 2007
Irish Sports Council Announce that their Local Sports Partnerships will become a national network in 2007
13 more Partnerships to be established in the year to complete national coverage
Partnerships to receive new resources to promote sport and physical activity for people with a disability
January 30th, 2007.
13 new Sports Partnerships will be established in 2007 by the Irish Sports Council. This will result in a total of 32 Sports Partnerships and complete the national network by the end of 2007.
The Irish Sports Council will invest a total of €4.5 million in the network this year. In addition investment totalling €2.6 million will be made in the Partnerships for targeted programmes available through the Dormant Accounts (Pobal), the National Action Plan Against Racism and the Health Service Executive.
The €2 million investment from Pobal is significant in that it will allow the Sports Partnerships employ Sport Inclusion Development Officers. The Officers will aim to increase participation of people with disabilities in sport and physical activity and promote inclusion in mainstream activities.
The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr John O’Donoghue TD commented: “I am delighted the Sports Partnerships network will be a national programme in 2007. The Fitzpatrick Report of 2005 endorsed the Irish Sports Council’s concept of local agencies in promoting sports participation and acknowledged that a lot of excellent work has been done. With the full implementation of the Report’s recommendations, the partnerships will become a critical part of the national sports infrastructure, grow in impact and contribute to increasing participation among target groups over the coming years”.
The Local Sports Partnership network was conceived in the Irish Sports Council’s first strategy “A New Era for Sport” in 1999. The idea was that new, locally based entities were required to mobilise efforts at community level to promote and develop sport. By bringing together various interest such as education, local government, sports interests and health boards the Partnerships would maximise the impact of investment in sport at local level.
In addition the Partnerships have a critical role in rolling out Irish Sports Council national programmes such as Buntْs, Buntْs Start, Women in Sport, Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport, Go for Life (Sport for Older People) and other initiatives for specific groups.
Ossie Kilkenny, Chairperson of the Irish Sports Council: “We have set ambitious targets for increasing participation in sport and physical activity over the next few years. The Sports Partnerships are critical in reaching these targets as they are the delivery mechanism for our various programmes aimed at addressing specific needs in the sports system. We are very happy with their progress and are confident that, with appropriate support and investment, they will make a major impact on the key strategic goal of the Council, namely increasing the quantity and quality of sports participation in Ireland”.
With Government support the first partnerships were established in 2001 and 16 were established by 2004. In 2005 the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism commissioned a report into the Partnerships. Carried out by Fitzpatrick Associates the report endorsed the Sports Partnership concept and made a series of recommendations to maximise the impact of the national roll-out of the programme.
John Treacy, Chief Executive, Irish Sports Council: “The Council is delighted that the Sports Partnerships will be a national network from 2007. This will give an additional momentum to their work and ensure that no area is excluded from their excellent programmes.
The investment in the Sports Partnerships by NPAR, HSE and Pobal underlines their importance in delivering programmes at local level. In addition we note their growing ties to local government agencies and national governing bodies of sport, generating the network that will deliver sport into communities.
The Co-ordinators are a very committed and talented group of people and the Council is very satisfied with the impact they are making on grass roots sport”.
The Irish Sports Council ‘s three year strategic plan is called “Building Sport for Life”. Increasing participation in sport and physical activity is the key strategic objective of the plan and specific targets have been set for the period 2006 to 2008. The Sport Partnerships have been identified by the Council as the key delivery mechanism at local level for reaching those targets and improving the quality of sport for important population groups.
For more information contact
Paul McDermott Irish Sports Council 087-6486295
Ian McClure O’Herlihy Communications 01-6602744
Attached
Timetable of rollout of remaining sports partnerships
List of established partnerships
Information Note on Sports Partnerships
The Fitzpatrick Report is available on www.dast.gov.ie