Jan 27, 2014
The largest study of participation in sport and exercise ever conducted in Ireland was published today (18th December) by Minister for Sport Michael Ring. “Keeping them in the Game”, commissioned by the Irish Sports Council and compiled by ESRI researchers, provides evidence for policy from three large nationally representative surveys of activity, covering everyone from primary school children to older adults.
In launching the report Minister Michael Ring highlighted “the importance of having research of this quality in order to inform important policy decisions around trying to increase the number of Irish people taking part in sport throughout their lives.”
The report highlights the growing evidence linking low levels of physical activity to poor health and focuses on why people take up and drop out from sport and exercise activities at different life stages.#
Key findings include:
- Almost all primary schoolchildren engage in regular sporting activity – it’s what happens after that stage that is a cause for concern
- Many children drop out of regular activity during the second-level years, especially girls
- School exams have a strong negative impact: students participate less in exam years and this has a lasting effect on whether they are active in later years
- Students who play sport get, on average, better Leaving Certificate results
- Activity as an adult is less related to attitudes and beliefs than to life events: most adults believe sporting activity is good for them and want to be more active, but leaving education, work commitments, relocations and family responsibilities lead many to drop out
- Cycling and, in particular, swimming, are most likely to persist into later adulthood; Gaelic games meanwhile have a high drop-out rate
- New sporting activities are mostly taken up through social connections with friends, colleagues and family members; finding facilities is not a barrier
- These factors lead to a widening socio-economic gap as people progress through adulthood – the less well-off are more likely to drop out from sport as young adults and less likely to take up new activities
The study discusses a number of policy implications.
Speaking at the launch, Kieran Mulvey, Chairperson of the Irish Sports Council said: “The Irish Sports Council has made increasing participation in sport and physical activity a key strategic priority. It is vital that we and our key stakeholders have access to this type of research to underpin our efforts in this regard.”
John Treacy, Chief Executive of the Irish Sports Council acknowledged “the thought provoking report which will help us focus in terms of strategic priorities”
Report author Dr. Pete Lunn of the ESRI said: “The findings imply a need to change the way we think about promoting sport and exercise. We are good at getting children involved – it’s keeping people involved as they get older that is the problem. The evidence suggests we could focus more on the major transitions in people’s lives and try to make it easier for them to continue to be active.”
Jan 21, 2014
Michael Ring, Minister of State for Tourism & Sport has published the Heads of the Sport Ireland Bill following approval by the Government today.
The purpose of the Bill is to provide for the establishment of a new statutory sports body, Sport Ireland, which will merge the two existing sports bodies – the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority. The merger of the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority is part of the Government’s programme for the rationalisation of State agencies.
“The Council and the Authority have both served Irish sport well since they were established. However, I believe that a new single streamlined organisation is the best approach for the further development of sport in Ireland, bringing responsibility for the implementation of Irish sports policy under one agency. Sport Ireland will continue the work currently being done by the Council in promoting, developing and co-ordinating sport in Ireland and also the work of the Authority in developing the National Sports Campus at Blanchardstown,” Minister Ring said.
Sport Ireland will take on the relevant functions of the Council and the Authority. The functions are set out in Head 8.
There have been substantial developments in anti-doping initiatives since the Irish Sports Council was established in 1999 and the Bill will include enhanced provisions which will assist Sport Ireland in their fight against doping in sport.
Oireachtas members from across the political spectrum will have an opportunity to shape the Bill as the Minister has submitted the Heads of the Bill to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications for their consideration. The Bill will be drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel and the Minister expects to introduce the Bill in the Oireachtas later in the year.
The Minister had intended that the Sport Ireland Bill would address the regulation of adventure centres by giving Sport Ireland responsibility for establishing and maintaining a register of all adventure centres in the State. However, some issues have arisen which require further consideration and the Minister has decided to address the matter separately from the Sport Ireland Bill. An adventure activities working group established by the Irish Sports Council is examining the issues associated with the regulation of adventure centres and the Minister will make separate proposals on the matter when the group has completed its work.
Link to: General Scheme of Sport Ireland Bill 2014
Jan 18, 2014
Students from St. Joseph’s College in Lucan have been revealed as the winners of this year’s Pumped Schools’ Video Awards, with their production titled “Active Teens, Healthy Hearts”. The Awards aim to encourage young people to get creative about science and health by producing mini-movies on a heart health topic. The Awards are organised by Bayer in partnership with the Irish Heart Foundation and the Federation of Irish Sport, with the winning students each receiving a tablet computer and St. Joseph’s College’s science budget receiving a much welcome cash boost of €5,000. The Awards were presented by pumped.ie Ambassadors, Olympic silver medallist, Kenneth Egan, and Olympic pentathlete, Natalya Coyle. The winning videos can be seen at www.pumped.ie.
Coláiste Éinde in Galway scooped second place in the competition with each team member receiving an iPod Touch, and a team from St Gerard’s School in Bray came third with students being awarded an iPod Nano. The Awards come in the light of research by Behaviour and Attitudes* of 500 teenagers last August that found that three in ten (31%) teens say that they eat a lot of junk food, and 34% that they have soft drinks at least daily.
The winning St. Joseph’s students – Gabrielle Fullam, Tina Ehiguese and Lisa Browne – produced an original rap to a catchy beat to encourage their peers to get active and take up a hobby. The video highlights why exercise is good for the mind, helps people feel happy, unwind, sleep better, and perhaps even get better grades!
Pumped.ie Ambassador and Ireland Olympic Silver Medallist, Kenneth Egan, was delighted to present the winning students with their prizes: “I really believe that it’s important that young people invest time and effort in themselves to gain what I would call ‘life fitness’. The Pumped Schools’ Video Awards point to the importance of getting active and eating a healthy diet if young people are to avoid cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in the future. The videos do this in a way that other young people ‘get’ and the students are to be commended for taking this serious issue and presenting it in a way that gets the audience thinking and talking.”
Dr Angie Brown, Medical Director with the Irish Heart Foundation and Chairperson of the Judging Panel, commented: “Students used every creative means at their disposal – from drama and animation, to music and song – to engage, motivate and stir the audience and shine a spotlight on what is a key issue facing the health of our nation. The judging panel was very impressed by entrants’ creativity and ingenuity, and their depth of knowledge and information on the topic of heart health and that what we eat, being physically active, smoking and our body weight impact on our health. We know that one in five teenagers in Ireland is overweight or obese and that we have the second highest levels of overweight or obesity among children in Europe. So these videos by the young people themselves demonstrate to their peers why it’s vital that they take control of their heart health for a better future and quality of life.”
Conn McCluskey, Support Services Officer, Federation of Irish Sport, added: “The entries for these Awards were of a really high standard and were both entertaining and sobering at the same time. However each video had one common thread and that was the importance of young people eating well, getting out and being active. The research conducted in August of last year among teenagers found that just one in three were able to recall that the national guideline for physical activity is 60 minutes a day for children. We hope that this initiative, and others being adopted, such as the National Physical Activity Plan, will help to start to turn the tide of physical inactivity and obesity and cause young people to take the important messages being communicated, quite literally, to heart.”
Sinéad Duffy, Head of Communications at Bayer, concluded: “For over 150 years, Bayer has been a world leader in developing science for better health and life. Rather than having educational videos to ‘tell’ young people how to live their lives, the Awards give young people a fun opportunity to look into their own hearts and research the science behind heart health for themselves. We know that these years are formative in determining how they live their future lives and how the lifestyle habits that they learn now will stay with them for a long time to come, so it’s really important that they know the hard facts around obesity and heart health.”
About the Irish Heart Foundation
The Irish Heart Foundation is the national charity dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke and it relies on charitable donations for more than 90 per cent of its income. Today in Ireland more people die from heart and stroke-related illnesses than from any other cause of death. Against this background we work to bring hope, relief and a better future to families all over Ireland. We give vital patient support through our Heart & Stroke helpline and we provide high quality public information for all.
We support pioneering medical research, campaign for improved patient care, and promote positive public health strategies. We work in hospitals, schools and workplaces to support, educate and train people to save lives. As a charity, we are dependent on the generosity of the public to continue our vital good work. You can support our work by making a donation, giving of your time to volunteer or by learning the skills needed to save a life through our courses. For more information, visit:
www.irishheart.ie
www.stroke.ie
www.facebook.com/irishheartfoundation
www.twitter.com/irishheart_ie
About Bayer
Innovation for better health. Our commitment is to bring to patients around the world quality medicines for use in diagnosing, combating and preventing disease. Every day we work against time, researching new pathways, new molecules, new technologies – complementing our own capabilities with expertise of innovative partners from science and industry. The success of this work is evidenced in new medicines for areas with significant unmet medical need such as oncology, cardiovascular and blood diseases, as well as gynaecology and ophthalmology. Our aim is a better quality of life for all.
Jan 8, 2014
The Football Association of Ireland today (Tuesday) announced the appointment of Sarah O’Shea as deputy CEO.
Ms O’Shea is currently the Association’s Director of Legal Affairs, a role she retains while taking on additional duties as deputy to the CEO, John Delaney.
Commenting on the appointment today, Delaney said: “Since Sarah’s appointment in 2006 she has made a substantial contribution to the management team. She has been an excellent legal director, establishing the legal department and reforming the Association’s disciplinary processes”.
“As the governance and administrative needs of the game change, the FAI continues to adapt its structures and Sarah’s appointment is part of that process. Sarah brings her considerable skillsets to the role as deputy CEO, and her appointment will enhance the management structure as the Association continues to develop all strands of the game”.
Sarah O’Shea said that she was looking forward to the challenge ahead; “We are embarking on another important phase for Irish football and I am keen to play a valuable role, particularly in the administrative and organisational aspects of the Association as deputy to the CEO.”
President Paddy McCaul added, “As current company secretary of the Association, a member of UEFA’s Hat Trick committee and Chairperson of the Federation of Irish Sport, Sarah is a highly respected figure in sport in Ireland and further afield.” He added, “Sarah has worked very closely and successfully with the Board of the Association and the grass roots and on behalf of the Board and our members, I wish her every success”.
Sarah O’ Shea is a qualified solicitor (2000) and a graduate of the FIFA Masters programme (2006). She joined the Association in 2006 and currently holds responsibility for all legal and disciplinary matters, governance issues, contracts, child welfare and football regulations.
She was appointed Company Secretary in September 2010 and was appointed to UEFA’s Hat Trick Committee in July 2011. She became Chairperson of the Federation of Irish Sport in January 2013 and a panel member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in September 2013.
Jan 7, 2014
The CARA National Inclusion Awards recognises organisations and people who contribute to the inclusion of people with disabilities in Sport and Physical Activity. The purpose of the awards is to highlight and acknowledge best practice in relation to the inclusion of people with disabilities in sport and physical activity.
Following the initial National Inclusion Awards presented at the European Congress of Adapted Physical Activity in 2012, CARA aims to continue to recognise and acknowledge the excellent work of many organisations/individuals in Ireland with regards to the provision of sport, physical activity, fitness and physical education for people with disabilities. The aim of the inclusion awards along with recognising good practice is to heighten the awareness of the inclusion of people with disabilities across all aspects of sport, physical activity, fitness, outdoor adventure and physical education. The categories for the awards are:
– Xcessible Leisure Centre Award
– National Sports Organisation Award
– Disability Organisation/Service Provider Award
– LSP Sports Inclusion Disability Award
– Xcessible Outdoor Centre Award
– Valued Volunteer Award
– Inclusive Sports Club Award
– Inclusive School PE / Sports Award
– Non Sporting Organisation Award
For more information on these awards see link
http://caranationalinclusionawards.caraapacentre.ie/
or contact us in CARA on the below address:
Kate Feeney,
Administrator, CARA National Adapted Physical Activity Centre.
C/O Institute of Technology Tralee,
South Campus,
Tralee,
Co. Kerry
066-7144189
Cara.apa@ittralee.ie
Dec 21, 2013
The European Commission has launched a long-awaited new sports funding programme.
Called Erasmus+, funding is open to not-for-profit sports organisations wishing to carry out pan-European grassroots sport projects.
The programme will allocate around €265 million over seven years, with €16.6 million available for the first round of projects beginning in 2014.
Projects must involve at least five organisations drawn from at least five different EU Member States. Applications close on 15 May 2014.
The specific objectives pursued by the Erasmus+ programme in the field of sport are to:
- tackle cross-border threats to the integrity of sport, such as doping, match fixing and violence, as well as all kinds of intolerance and discrimination
- promote and support good governance in sport and dual careers of athletes
- promote voluntary activities in sport, together with social inclusion, equal opportunities and awareness of the importance of health-enhancing physical activity, through increased participation in, and equal access to sport for all.
If you are interested in finding our more about these funding opportunities for sports projects, more information can be found on the Erasmus+ website or in the detailed programme guide (the sport section begins on page 179).
Information Day- 4th February 2014
On 4th February 2014 the European Commission and the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) will organise an “Info Day” in Brussels to inform potential applicants about Erasmus+: Sport and its funding opportunities.
The day will be centred around different information sessions, presenting the policy priorities as well as practical advice and tips on preparing and submitting proposals.
Please note that advance online registration is obligatory, as the room capacity is limited and we would like to offer to as many organisations as possible the possibility to be represented (max 2 representatives per organisation).
Alternatively, you will also be able to join the live web streaming and the online chat. You may participate in a chat session as an individual (using your name or a pseudonym) or in your official capacity. All participants can also take advantage of the online partner search tool.
You will find all information about the programme on the DG EAC website. Please note that all presentations will be downloadable from the EAC website a few days before the Info day and, after the event, video recordings of all sessions will also be available.
For any further information, don’t hesitate to contact:
– the communication Team of the Executive Agency: Maria-teresa.De-Pasquale@ec.europa.eu
– the EACEA Erasmus+ Programme in the field of Sport : luciano.di-fonzo@ec.europa.eu
– the Sport Unit in DG EAC: paola.ottonello@ec.europa.eu
