Golf Ireland: Corcoran chasing fifth Senior Women’s Close

Jun 29, 2021

Irish Senior Women’s Amateur Close Championship – TEE TIMES

Portumna’s Suzanne Corcoran is hoping to make it four wins from four at this week’s Irish Senior Women’s Amateur Close Championship in Westport.

Corcoran first won the title in 2013, before a run of three straight wins from 2017 to 2019. Last year’s event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A T15 finish in Athlone last week at the Connacht Open was fine preparation for this week’s bid at four-in-a-row.

“I haven’t played as much golf as I’d like to have played, but I’m doing what I can”, Corcoran admitted.

“Athlone was a warmup for Westport. I was happy with how I played on Thursday, but not with Friday’s performance. These things happen.”

Despite admitting to being “very disappointed” at not being able to defend the title last year that she won in Naas in 2019, the Portumna golfer is ready to try and win the title once again.

“Every year you get a year older, and more players come into the mix. It would have been lovely to keep the run going, but these things happen.

“Westport is a great course. I’ve played it before. It’s a fair course, but tough. I’m looking forward to it.”

52 players will tee off on Tuesday morning for two rounds of stroke play, before the Matchplay section of the Championship begins on Thursday.

Ends

Alliance urges Government “don’t leave anyone behind”  in insurance reform plans

Jun 25, 2021

Whole sectors of society struggling to get insurance cover

The Alliance for Insurance Reform has urged the Government to avoid leaving any sector behind as insurance reforms are implemented.

At a meeting this afternoon with Sean Fleming, the Minister of State at the Department of Finance with responsibility for Insurance, the Alliance presented the experience of 21 sectors* that are struggling to get insurance cover or are increasingly vulnerable due to a lack of competition among insurers in their sector.

Peter Boland, director of the Alliance said “We warmly welcome the implementation of the new judicial guidelines on personal injury awards which came into effect in April; and we expect this and other measures in the pipeline to apply significant downward pressure on premiums. But all that reform is of no value if you cannot get cover or there is only one underwriter prepared to offer cover. We have identified 35 sectors¹ in this predicament.

Teresa Heeney, ​​​Chief Executive Officer of ​​Early Childhood Ireland, who attended the meeting said “ We believe that the Insurance Competition Office established by Minister of State Fleming can play a pivotal role in encouraging underwriters not currently offering cover in Ireland to do so, given the dramatic changes in the market that are taking place. We have proposed to the Minister that the Office:

• Research and develop the market data requirements of potential incoming underwriters
• Address urgent supply issues in areas such as childcare and child-oriented enterprises, hospitality and tourism, leisure and the creative and sports sectors; and the resultant risks associated with having just one underwriter covering strategically important sectors

Lucy Medlycott, Director of ISACS, the Irish Street Artists, Circus and Spectacular Network, who also attended the meeting said “ We also asked the Minister and his team to instruct the Insurance Competition Office to develop an understanding of the detailed market segmentation being used by underwriters to analyse opportunities; and formulate responses as necessary. For example, the entire Irish creative sector would probably make for a viable market for an underwriter. But if that sector is further broken down, then sub-sectors such as community circuses or street artists will probably never present a viable commercial opportunity and their demise would be Ireland’s loss.”

Peter Boland, concluded “The number of sectors represented at this meeting gives an indication of the scale and urgency of the supply issue. The market, if left to its own devices, will respond to ongoing insurance reforms like an oil tanker, not a speedboat. So Government must intervene on behalf of the sectors represented here today as well as others that we have identified. The actions identified by us have been backed up by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission market study of last December and must be implemented with real urgency. ”

ENDS

NOTES:

Screenshot of meeting available on request.

*In attendance at the meeting were:

1. • Bernadette Burke, Chief Executive, Childminding Ireland
   • William Martin, Vice-Chair, Coach Tourism and Transport Council
   • Teresa Heeney, CEO, Early Childhood Ireland
   • Mary O’Connor, CEO, Federation of Irish Sport
   • Justin Green, Historic Houses of Ireland
   • Jamie Farrelly, Policy and Communications Officer, Home and Community Care Ireland
   • Ruth Andrews, CEO, Incoming Tour Operators Association Ireland
   • Brendan Kenny, CEO, Ireland’s Association for Adventure Tourism
   • Con Quill, CEO, Irish Caravan and Camping Council
   • Michael Magner, Chair, Insurance Committee, Irish Hotels Federation
   • Cyril McGuinness, Irish Road Haulage Association
   • Lucy Medlycott, Director, Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacle Network
   • Don Bird, Irish Showmens Guild
   • Pat Dawson, CEO, Irish Travel Agents Association
   • Tadhg Daly, CEO Nursing Homes Ireland
   • Tommy Gill, CEO, Play Activity & Leisure Ireland
   • Adrian Cummins, CEO, Restaurants Association of Ireland
   • Tara Buckley, Director General, RGDATA
   • Brian Staunton, NGB Support Unit Manager, Sport Ireland
   • Padraig Cribben, Chief Executive, Vintners Federation of Ireland
   • Mel Campbell, Play Services Ireland

¹Sectors, sub-sectors and groups of individuals that are struggling to get cover at all right now or are reduced to one underwriter who is effectively in a monopolist’s situation (even if this in inadvertently, because other underwriters have pulled out of the market) include:

1. Adventure centres that deal with children
2. Artists, arts workers and arts organisations
3. Bike hire shops on greenways and elsewhere
4. Bouncy castle operators
5. Caravan & Camping Parks
6. Car rental
7. Childcare providers
8. Childminders
9. Children’s’ play centres
10. Children’s playgrounds (non-local authority)
11. Circuses (both community and commercial)
12. Climbing walls
13. Coasteering
14. Drivers of older cars
15. Equestrian sports
16. Festivals and events
17. High ropes (adventure centres)
18. Home care providers
19. Ice skating
20. Incoming tour operators
21. Independent marts
22. Karting tracks
23. Late night venues
24. Minority sports
25. Mountain biking
26. Nursing homes
27. Outdoor adventure centres
28. Private scheduled buses
29. Street artists
30. Taxis
31. Trampoline centres
32. Travel agents
33. Tyre depots
34. Vehicle recovery operations
35. Young drivers

The Alliance for Insurance Reform brings together 41 civic and business organisations from across Ireland, representing over 55,000 members, 700,000 employees, 614,000 volunteers and 374,000 students in highlighting the negative impact of persistently high premiums and calling for real reforms that will quickly reduce liability and motor insurance premiums to affordable levels and keep them that way. Our members include:

• AOIFE Ireland (Association of Irish Festival Events)
• Car Rental Council of Ireland
• Childminding Ireland
• Coach Tourism & Transport Council of Ireland
• Community Reuse Network Ireland
• Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association
• Cork Business Association
• Early Childhood Ireland
• Family Business Network Ireland
• Federation of Irish Sport
• Galway Chamber
• Galway City Business Association
• Galway County Public Participation Network (PPN)
• Home and Community Care Ireland
• Ireland Active
• Ireland’s Association for Adventure Tourism
• Irish Caravan and Camping Council
• Irish Concrete Federation
• Irish Hotels Federation
• Irish Road Haulage Association
• Irish Showman’s Guild
• Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacle Network
• Irish Travel Agents Association
• ISME
• Licensed Vintners Association
• Motorsport Ireland
• National Campaign for the Arts
• Nursing Homes Ireland
• Play Activity and Leisure Ireland
• Quick Service Food Alliance
• Restaurants Association of Ireland
• Retail Excellence
• RGDATA
• Sligo PPN
• Society of the Irish Motor Industry
• South Dublin County PPN
• Sport Ireland
• Union of Students in Ireland
• Vintners Federation of Ireland
• Volunteer Ireland
• The Wheel (Ireland’s national association for community, voluntary and charitable organisations)

For further details contact:

Peter Boland

Sport Ireland publishes High Performance Strategy 

Jun 24, 2021

Additional €1.3million in High Performance Impact Funding Announced 

Sport Ireland today published its new High Performance Strategy 2021-2032, a long term plan for the Irish high performance system over the next three Olympic and Paralympic cycles.  

A robust and comprehensive period of consultation and research underpinned the development of the Strategy which sets out the ambition and vision for high performance sport in Ireland. The Strategy will be delivered in partnership with the broader high performance community and is based on the philosophy that athletes and the people who support them are at the heart of everything.  

Sport Ireland has identified investment in coaching as the key to delivering its new High Performance Strategy and has appointed renowned athletics coach Stephen Maguire to lead a transformation of Irish coaching over the next ten years.  

The review of the Rio Games 2016 highlighted the importance of Governance and the direct impact on performance. The Strategy will place an emphasis on the governance of High Performance Programmes over the next period.  

Globally the lesson from high performance sport is that culture matters. The welfare of athletes and of everyone involved in High Performance Sport will be central to the strategy and no short cuts will be taken in order to achieve ambitious goals. Sport Ireland has developed the Culture Evolution Programme which will be expertly guided by John Donnelly. This programme will support National Governing Bodies as they seek to protect and maximise the experience of athletes, coaches, and support staff.  

Coinciding with the launch of the High Performance Strategy are advancements to the International Carding Scheme. This Scheme, which provides direct funding to athletes, will see a number of positive changes including an increase of award amounts; the introduction of a team funding model; security of funding in 2023 and 2024; and financial and service support for retiring athletes. These welcomed advancements will ensure Ireland provides a world-leading and comprehensive support model to high performance athletes.  

High performance sport will be further supported by the announcement of €1.3million in funding in 2021 as part of Round 1 of the High Performance Impact Funding Programme. This fund will support NGBs with immediate and confirmed costs to high performance programmes specifically relating to the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Future rounds of HP Impact Funding for Paris 2024 will be delivered in quarters three and four of 2021. NGBs have applied to Sport Ireland for funding where they have incurred costs relating to Tokyo 2020 (2021) which are beyond the scope of High Performance Programme funding and other performance programme resources. 

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin TD welcomed the publication, commenting: “I am delighted to see the publication of this Strategy and the vision and strategic direction for high performance sport in Ireland. The National Sports Policy 2018-2027 tasked Sport Ireland with developing a new long-term strategy for high performance sport and this Strategy clearly sets out challenging but achievable targets. A collaborative approach across the sector will be key to realising these targets and our athletes’ potential. This will be underpinned by significant and sustained investment from Government. High performance sport has the power to inspire us all to lead active lifestyles and over the past year, the successes and performances of our athletes have boosted the nation when we needed it most. I look forward to seeing the impact of this ambitious strategy over the coming years”.   

Minister of State for the Gaeltacht & Sport, Jack Chambers TD added: “Ireland is a proud sporting nation steeped in international success, with many of our fondest memories centred on Ireland’s achievements on the global stage. The inspirational effect of our high performance athletes on the Irish public cannot be overstated. This new High Performance Strategy is ambitious and signals our belief that Irish athletes can compete with the best in the world and win medals at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and other major international competitions, on a consistent basis. We would like to commend all those who provided input to this strategy, in particular the members of the High Performance Working Group, Sport Ireland, Sport Northern Ireland, National Governing Bodies, Olympic Federation of Ireland, Paralympics Ireland and the Athletes’ Commission” 

Chairman of Sport Ireland Kieran Mulvey commented: “The launch now is a vote of confidence in our athletes and to reassure them that there is belief in them and their programmes in advance of Tokyo and onwards to Paris. Their diligence, resilience and determination through the challenges of the pandemic have been extraordinary. Ireland’s athletes and those that support them will be central to the delivery of this Strategy. The advancements to the International Carding Scheme and introduction of the Culture Evolution Programme demonstrates our commitment to this philosophy”  

Chair of Sport Ireland’s High Performance Committee Liam Sheedy commented: “Ireland can be proud of the achievements of our athletes over the course of the last number of years across a wide variety of sports. Equally we can be proud of the progress made in the high performance system to ensure that the right structures and people are in place for this success to be realised. However, it is imperative that we continue to challenge and improve the system. The Strategy sets out targets and clear actions across seven strategic area which will have a positive impact on our sports and athletes. On behalf of the High Performance Working Group, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the development of this strategy and played a part in shaping the future of high performance sport in Ireland”.  

Chief Executive of Sport Ireland, John Treacy commented: “High performance sport in Ireland has made substantial progress in recent years as evidenced by the consistent podium and top ten finishes achieved by Irish athletes and teams on the international stage. The public response to this success demonstrates a real appetite to see Ireland’s high performance system continue to advance. It is sustained investment over many years that has brought increased level of success across the system. The time is right to provide further investment to move to the next level.  

“The National Governing Bodies of sport have carried out considerable work to progress their own programmes and with the partnership agreement in place between Sport Ireland and both the Olympic Federation of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland, our athletes will be well prepared heading in to Tokyo and subsequent Olympic and Paralympic Games. World class facilities and equipment is one of the strategic pillars of the Strategy. The Sport Ireland Campus is a major statement of the commitment to high performance sport and in will be further developed and expanded in the coming years to really deliver the best possible facilities for existing and emerging athletes. This strategy sets out a blueprint to build on the work already achieved and make sustainable improvement to the system and across our high performance sports. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this collaborative work in the years to come and the development of future generations of talented athletes”.  

The Sport Ireland High Performance Strategy can be accessed here. 

Ends. 

For Further Information: 

David Gash 

Communications & Public Affairs Manager, Sport Ireland 

087-2277643 

dgash@sportireland.ie 

The Global Design Challenge is looking for you!

Jun 16, 2021

Sport Ireland has partnered with UCC and Student Sport Ireland to deliver the Global Design Challenge 2021.

The Global Design Challenge is  an international competition looking for ambitious, innovative ideas to get people physically active. GDC uses design thinking methodology to crowdsource ideas for incubation that will facilitate and encourage the return to sport and physical activity during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. You can get a quick overview about the initiative here

The Global Design Challenge for Sport and Physical Activity has Development Grants of up to €10,000 for the winning teams, and mentors and partner organisations ready to help turn ideas into real campaigns and initiatives.

In 2020, nearly 200 teams from around the world entered the Global Design Challenge, this year the organisers are aiming for twice that number, to crack the specific challenges in sport and physical activity, and in particular to find innovative ways to:

– remove barriers that are preventing the inclusion of all people in sport and physical activity regardless of physical ability, age, race or socio-economic background

– inspire community-level engagement in physical activity

– bring participants, volunteers and fans back to sport and physical activity

– use sport as a means to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals in a practical way

– reimagine how space is used by sport and physical activity to make it more sustainable and resilient to shocks and change

– motivate children and youth to engage in sport and physical activity, that leads to life-long interest

– harness technology to radically change the way sport and physical activity are imagined

– integrate sport and physical activity into leisure and lifestyle activities e.g. cycling for transport

The Global Design Challenge is happening from the 21st to the 27^th of June, and individuals / team from Ireland can register now. Registration closes on Sunday 20^th June.

Sport Ireland and Sporting Pride #LetsGetVisible Campaign – Dublin Pride Health and Wellbeing Week

Jun 11, 2021

Campaign Overview:

Sport Ireland and Sporting Pride are pleased to launch the #LetsGetVisible campaign as part of Dublin Pride Health and Wellbeing Week which takes place from 14th to 20th June 2021.  The campaign aims to recognise and acknowledge the importance of visibility and representation amongst the LGBTQI+ community, specifically in the sport sector.

Sport Ireland and Sporting Pride will launch the campaign on Monday morning and will be promoting the campaign throughout the week

Our request:

As part of this campaign our ask of stakeholders is to:

1. Promote and raise awareness of the campaign with your clubs, members etc. (sample communication below), and encourage people to get involved in the campaign from Monday;
2. Download the Profile Picture overlay and social media banners and add them to your social media profiles from Monday 14^th June 2021 until Sunday 20^th June 2021. Link to download resources: https://www.sportingpride.ie/campaign/lets-get-visible
3. Post on your social media accounts throughout the week using #LetsGetVisible to show your support (sample posts below);
4. To allow Sport Ireland to do a report after the campaign ends, please send back a sample of your posts to ethics@sportireland.ie Please submit either a screen grab of your posts or a link to the posts

Suggested content for issue to clubs/members/mailing lists

The following paragraph provides an example of what an NGB/LSP might send to their members in order to help create momentum behind the campaign:

Sport Ireland and Sporting Pride will launch the #LetsGetVisible campaign as part of Dublin Pride Health and Wellbeing Week taking place next week from 14th to 20th June 2021.  The campaign aims to recognise and acknowledge the importance of visibility and representation amongst the LGBTQI+ community. It gives the sport sector the opportunity to show our support for the LGBTQI+ community and to promote sport as a welcoming and inclusive space for the community.

[Insert NGB/LSP name] are really excited and proud to support the campaign and we are asking all our clubs and members to do the same. To get involved in the campaign all you need to do is go to Sporting Pride’s website (https://www.sportingpride.ie/campaign/lets-get-visible ) and download a profile picture overlay, which you can add to your profile picture from Monday 14th June 2021. We are also asking people to post their messages of support for the campaign using #LetsGetVisible – you can get creative and post a picture with a pride flag, wearing your most colourful clothing, or you can use any of the graphics available to download on the Sporting Pride website.

4. Suggested content for social media posts:

• Representation matters. Support matters. We are proud to join with @SportIreland & @SportingPrideIE during Pride month. #LetsGetVisible To join us, download your social media frame: https://www.sportingpride.ie/campaign/lets-get-visible

• Everyone benefits when sport is inclusive #LetsGetVisible More information available on the @SportingPrideIE website: https://www.sportingpride.ie/campaign/lets-get-visible @SportIreland

• Show your colours and show your support! Join us in supporting the #LetsGetVisible campaign. Download your social media frame https://www.sportingpride.ie/campaign/lets-get-visible @SportIreland @SportingPrideIE

• Sport is for everyone so #LetsGetVisible! Download your social media frame here: https://www.sportingpride.ie/campaign/lets-get-visible @SportIreland @SportingPrideIE

• We are proud to support the #LetsGetVisible Campaign. We encourage all our clubs to post the most colourful images of their members throughout the week. @SportIreland @SportingPrideIE