PARTICIPATION Irish Sports Council completes National Network of Local Sports Partnerships
Irish Sports Council Completes National Network of Local Sports Partnerships
* 33 Partnerships Provide National Coverage for Sports Participation Programmes and Services
* SPEAK Report Highlights Positive Contribution of Partnerships to Sport in Ireland
The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr Seamus Brennan TD: “The Sports Partnerships are making a major contribution to the sport sector in Ireland and the completion of the national network must be warmly welcomed. Their important work is in increasing participation amongst those sectors of society that are under represented in sport and should make a substantial contribution to the health and welfare of individuals, communities and the nation”.
April 23, 2008.
The contribution of Local Sports Partnerships to the development of sport in Ireland was highlighted at a special event in Dublin marking the completion of the National Network of Sport Partnerships
The SPEAK Report, the first evaluation of the Partnerships under a new monitoring framework, was launched at the event and highlighted the positive contribution of the 22 Sports Partnerships currently in operation.
The Irish Sports Council will invest a total of €5.675 million in the network in 2008. The other main sources of investment in the Partnerships comes from local authorities, POBAL (from the Dormant Accounts Fund), the National Action Plan Against Racism and the Health Service Executive.
The investment from POBAL is significant in that it funds the employment of 20 Sport Inclusion Development Officers at various Sports Partnerships around the country. Their work, which is entirely new, will focus on increasing participation of people with disabilities in sport and physical activity and promote inclusion in mainstream activities.
The concept of the Partnerships is that locally based entities are required to mobilise efforts at community level to promote and develop sport. They bring together various interests such as education, local government, sports interests and health authorities with the intention of maximising the impact of investment in sport at local level.
According to the SPEAK Report the main impact of the Sports Partnerships is in their role as a hub for sport at local level. They provide information, advice and support to the local sports sector as well as providing training and education. In addition the Partnerships have a critical role in rolling out Irish Sports Council national programmes such as Buntْs, Buntْs Start, Active Leadership, Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport, Go for Life and initiatives for specific groups such as Women in Sport.
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. The SPEAK Report validates out view that the Partnerships will make a major contribution to our key strategic goal, 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. The Irish Sports Council has implemented all of the relevant recommendations of the Fitzpatrick Report.
John Treacy, Chief Executive, Irish Sports Council: “Today is a proud day for the Council as our vision of a National Network of Sports Partnerships is finally realised. The Partnerships have been endorsed in every analysis of their work. They are new agencies that are making a significant impact on sport and will continue to grow in influence and impact over the coming years. In particular I want to highlight the role of the Sports Co-ordinators, a talented group of professionals who have brought a new dynamic to sports development in Ireland”.
The event at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham was hosted by the Irish Sports Council. Dr. Pete Lunn of the Economic and Social Research Institute, the author of recent reports on sport and society, addressed the invited audience of Sports Partnerships on critical issues around sports participation in Ireland. The attendance also included representatives of government departments, state agencies, health authorities, VECs, education interests and community interests with whom the Partnerships work on a regular basis.
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
Declan Lee O’Herlihy Communications 01-6602744
Available to download below:
SPEAK Report
List of established partnerships
Information Note on Sports Partnerships
The Fitzpatrick Report is available on www.dast.gov.ie