National Sports Policy Framework Public Consultation Paper November 2016
Consultation on National Sports Policy Framework Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport
Contents
1. Introduction ...... 4 2. How to submit your views ...... 6 3. Contribution of Sport ...... 7 4. Participation ...... 9 5. High Performance ...... 15 6. Local and Regional Facilities ...... 18 7. National Sports Campus ...... 21 8. Governance ...... 27 9. Coaching ...... 30 10. Volunteer engagement ...... 31 11. Safety in sport ...... 33 12. Integrity of sport and international influence ...... 35 13. Sport in a cross-sectoral context ...... 38 14. Outdoor recreation ...... 41 15. Sports Tourism ...... 43 16. Financing Irish Sport ...... 46 17. Measuring the impact of sport ...... 49 Appendix 1 - Trends in participation levels in sport 2007-2015 ...... 50 Appendix 2 – Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Performances by Team Ireland ...... 52 Appendix 3 - Breakdown of high performance expenditure 2006-2015 ...... 55 Appendix 4 - Athletes and teams funded through Sport Ireland’s International Carding Scheme 2016 ...... 56 Appendix 5 - Allocations by the Sports Capital Programme 2014-2015 by sport ...... 60 Appendix 6 - Usage figures for National Sports Campus Facilities ...... 62 References ...... 63
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FOREWORD BY MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT, TOURISM AND SPORT
I am very pleased to publish this consultation document on the first National Sports Policy Framework in 20 years. Sport is an important part of the daily lives of Irish people and has a key role across many policy areas of Irish society. It is imperative that we continue to recognise the crucial role that sport plays in Ireland and the benefits that investment in sport has economically, socially and on the health of the general population.
The new policy will consider what should be the priorities for Government investment in sport. There will always be competing demands for Government resources from different sectors and we need to ensure that future funding for sport is targeted at the right interventions and that we have the appropriate balance of funding across a range of areas from participation to high performance.
This is an exciting time for Irish sport. There has been significant change in the last number of years with the establishment of Sport Ireland, with the enormous strides that have been made in the development of the National Sports Campus and through investment under the Sports Capital Programme.
It is vital that all stakeholders involved in Irish sport have their say in the development of this new policy. You are the leaders who work tirelessly to champion the importance of sport in Irish life; who drive for greater participation; who strive for higher wins. I look forward to hearing your views and to working closely with you, as we define the strategic direction and adopt a new National Sports Policy Framework for the years ahead.
Shane Ross TD
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport
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FOREWORD BY MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM AND SPORT
There is a lot to be proud of in Irish sport. There are many excellent facilities and programmes in place around the country to encourage increased participation in recreational sport and to support our high performance athletes who continue to do us proud on the international stage. The work of Sport Ireland, the National Governing Bodies of Sport, the Local Sports Partnerships and the huge number of volunteers involved in sport is invaluable and the Government is strongly supportive of their work.
However, there are also many challenges facing sport and the new National Sports Policy Framework provides an opportunity for all of us involved in Irish sport to address these challenges and put in place the best possible structures to support sport across all areas. Recent events have highlighted the need to maintain public confidence in all state funded bodies and governance will form a key part of the new National Sports Policy Framework.
While huge strides have been made in increasing the levels of participation over the last decade, there are continuing challenges around gender, social, age and disability gradients in participation. There are also worrying trends in drop-off points in participation by children and young people which we need to consider.
We want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in sport at all levels from early childhood right up to the highest elite level. The new sports policy also gives us an opportunity for a more joined-up approach to sport across Government from education to health to tourism. I am very interested in hearing the opinions, views and ideas that you the stakeholders have about the future shape of Irish Sports Policy and how we can deliver the very best for sport in Ireland over the coming years.
Patrick O’Donovan TD
Minister of State for Tourism and Sport
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1. Introduction The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD and the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD are developing a new National Sports Policy to provide a framework for sport in Ireland over the next ten years and to set the agenda for Sport Ireland. The National Sports Policy Framework will address a range of topics relevant to sport and the challenges and opportunities for sport in the coming years. The sport sector is recognised as having positive economic, social, cultural and health benefits both for individuals and broader society. The National Sports Policy Framework will set out where the focus of Government spending in sport will be and the wider cross-sectoral role of sport in the economy, education, health, tourism and other areas.
The Ministers’ high-level goal for sport is to contribute to a healthier and more active society by promoting sports participation and by supporting high performance sport and the provision of facilities. Government funding for sport is provided through the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport which directly administers and funds the Sports Capital and Local Authority Swimming Pool Programmes and allocates funding to Sport Ireland to deliver its functions.
Sport Ireland is a Government Agency established on 1 October 2015. It replaced the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority and took on the functions previously performed by the Council and the Authority. Sport Ireland has responsibility for the development of Irish sport, including responsibility for such matters as:
- the development of strategies relating to participation in sport; - supporting elite athletes in achieving excellence in sport; - facilitating standards of good conduct, fair play and the elimination of doping in sport; - the development of the National Sports Campus; - the management and operation of the National Sports Campus; - the development of guidelines and codes of conduct promoting best practice for the protection of children in sport; and - the development of coaches and tutors at all levels in sport.
There are currently 65 National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) which, along with their member clubs and affiliates, manage and administer organised sport in Ireland. They train and deploy coaches, organise representative level sport, provide opportunities and pathways leading from local sports (through their clubs) to national and international competition, deliver critical national sports programmes in areas such as anti-doping and the safeguarding of children in sport, and organise and host international sporting events. Sport Ireland provides funding to NGBs to allow them to carry out the core activities
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required to deliver quality sport in Ireland, including administration, coach education and hosting and participating at international events. Sport Ireland also supports a national network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships who coordinate and promote the development of sport at local level and aim to increase levels of participation.
The National Sports Policy Framework will address the structures, programmes and infrastructure required for recreational and high performance sport and how best to facilitate and support the achievement of sport objectives over the next ten years.
Consultation process The purpose of this consultation process is to invite interested parties to submit written views/observations/suggestions on the future of Irish sport. This public consultation process, along with the relevant stakeholder engagement, will contribute significantly to the delivery of a National Sports Policy. As a first step, a consultation day with a range of sports stakeholders was held on 5 November 2015.
Respondents to this consultation paper, the second step in the process, are invited to consider questions which have been categorised under the following themes:
Contribution of Sport Participation High Performance Local and Regional Facilities National Sports Campus Governance Coaching Volunteer engagement Safety in sport Integrity of sport and international influence Sport in a cross-sectoral context Outdoor recreation Sports Tourism Financing Irish Sport Measuring the impact of sport
It is hoped that the questions posed will aid consideration of the topics covered. Respondents are not confined to answering the sample questions. Respondents are invited to offer any other contributions they wish to make.
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2. How to submit your views Respondents are requested to make their submissions in writing and, where possible, by email. Respondents are requested to ensure that electronic submissions are furnished in an unprotected format. Views are requested by Friday, 6 January 2017: 1. by email to [email protected] or 2. by post to: Ms Rosalie Quinsey Sports Policy and Campus Division Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport Leeson Lane Dublin 2 D02 TR60
Confidentiality of Submissions Contributors are requested to note that it is the Department’s policy to treat all submissions received as being in the public domain unless confidentiality is specifically requested. Respondents are, therefore, requested to clearly identify material they consider to be confidential and to place same in a separate annex to their response, labelled “confidential”. Where responses are submitted by email, and those emails include automatically generated notices stating that the content of same should be treated as confidential, contributors should clarify in the body of their emails as to whether their comments are to be treated as confidential.
Relevant provisions of Freedom of Information Act 1997 (as amended) Respondents’ attention is drawn to the fact that information provided to the Department may be disclosed in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act. Therefore, should you consider that any information you provide is commercially sensitive, please identify same, and specify the reason for its sensitivity. The Department will consult with any potentially affected respondent regarding information identified as sensitive before making a decision on any Freedom of Information request.
Queries Any queries regarding this consultation should be made by emailing [email protected] or by contacting Ms Rosalie Quinsey at 01-6041237.
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3. Contribution of Sport Sport has a very special place in the hearts and lives of Irish people, whether as participants or spectators, and it contributes hugely to our society in many ways. It plays a vital role in contributing to the health and quality of life of the Irish population and supporting the development of social capital. Sport and sport-related activities also generate a significant contribution to the Irish economy.
Sport and Health The positive impact of sport on health and the prevention of illness and disability is widely recognised and sport has great potential to contribute to a much healthier society. The health benefits that can be gained from participation in sport are significant, not just for the individual but also for our health system, with the consequent reduction in the demand on health services. Participation in sport can improve physical and mental health, safeguard against a number of diseases and illnesses and develop a better all-round quality of life.
Social role of sport The social impact of sport is very important and has been a key element in the formulation of sport policy. Sport can teach participants important life-skills such as teamwork, discipline and leadership which can educate children and young people and enhance employability. Sport can also play an important role in tackling some of the social challenges faced by society, including social exclusion and anti-social behaviour. Sport gets people involved and invested in their community through membership and participation in sports clubs and attendance at sporting events, whether in the community or at large-scale sporting events. Sport can further enhance the integration of new communities by bringing people of all backgrounds together in an inclusive atmosphere.
Economic value of sport The sport sector is a significant contributor to the economy, a contribution which includes sports tourism, ticket sales, subscriptions and the cost of playing sport, together with the purchase of sports equipment and merchandise, and the economic value of time given by volunteers.
The 2010 report on the Assessment of Economic Impact of Sport in Ireland1 found that: Irish households spend a total of €1.9 billion on sport and sport‐related goods and services, equivalent to 2% of the overall value of consumer spending in the Irish economy; Sport‐related spending contributes €1.8 billion to the Irish economy value‐added, equivalent to 1.4% of economy‐wide value‐added or GDP; Sport and sport‐related activities support over 38,000 full‐time equivalent jobs, or over 2% of the overall level of employment in Ireland; and
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Sport‐related volunteering activity is estimated to have an economic value equivalent to between €322 million and €582 million annually.
While these figures relate to 2008, the report highlights the significant contribution provided by sport to the Irish economy. A 2012 study commissioned by the European Commission, “EU study on the Contribution of Sport to Economic Growth and Employment”2, found that sport contributed €2.4 billion to the Irish economy whilst supporting 40,532 jobs.
Questions for consideration . How can sport play a more effective role as part of the wider government strategies in the following areas? Combatting physical health conditions Addressing mental health issues Enhancing social inclusion and integration Contributing to economic growth
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4. Participation Participation in sport should be an enjoyable experience for all ages and there is a need to strike a balance between enjoyment and competitiveness, particularly in relation to children and young people’s participation. It is important that children are taught the necessary fundamental skills at an early age to allow them to participate in sport and move easily between different sports if they wish as they get older. There is also a need for policy to take account of Ireland’s changing demography with a significantly ageing and more ethnically and culturally diverse population.
The key priority for government investment in sport has been to promote maximum participation in sport as everyone should have the opportunity to participate in sport regardless of ability, age, disability, ethnic background, gender or sexual orientation. Sport Ireland has in place policies on equality in recreational sport and advocates that no one should be discriminated against within sport on any grounds of gender. In developing the National Sports Policy Framework, the Department will engage with Sport Ireland on what further actions it can take, separately and working alongside the National Governing Bodies of Sport, to promote equality in sport, including gender equality and the promotion of LGBT inclusion in sport.
Sport Ireland expenditure on participation Sport Ireland, the National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs), the Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) and volunteers at community and grassroots level are delivering important programmes throughout the country to encourage greater participation in sport. The table and graph overleaf shows details of Sport Ireland’s (previously the Irish Sports Council) expenditure on participation from 2006-2015.
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Expenditure (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) Participation† 25.4 33.9 33.7 32.6 31.1 29.1 26.7 25.7 25.0 27.4 Total current expenditure 40.9 54.0 57.2 51.7 49.6 46.8 44.5 43.4 43.2 44.3 % of total current expenditure 62% 63% 59% 63% 63% 62% 60% 59% 58% 62%
†These figures do not include administration costs NOTE: Participation Figure for 2015 includes Dormant Account Funding of €1.795m
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60.0
50.0
40.0 Participation Expenditure €m
30.0 Total current expenditure on sport €m 20.0
10.0
0.0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Adult participation in sport Sport Ireland’s Irish Sports Monitor tracks active and social participation in sport among adults in Ireland. The most recent full year figures from the Irish Sports Monitor Annual Report 20153 show that following a number of years of increasing levels of participation in sport, participation levels have declined slightly since 2013. Adult participation rose from 44.8% in 2011 to 47.2% in 2013, but has since fallen to 45%, which is equivalent to almost 1.6 million Irish adults participating in sport regularly.
The reason suggested for the slight decrease in levels of participation is that it is a reversal of the trend noticed during the economic downturn i.e. now that the economy is improving and more people are working additional hours or are returning to work, they have less free time to participate in sporting activity.
The Irish Sports Monitor highlights continuing challenges around gender, social, age and disability gradients in participation. Appendix 1 includes graphs on the trends in participation levels from 2007 to 2015 and a breakdown across some of the gradients.
Key findings from the 2015 ISM Annual Report: o Approximately 1.6 million Irish adults aged 16+ regularly participate in sport and exercise.
o Personal exercise is the most popular activity (13.7%) with running (8.2%), swimming (8%), cycling (5.5%) and soccer (4.8%) the next most popular. Soccer, Gaelic football and swimming are the most common sports played with children.
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o Participation levels have declined for both genders with a larger decline among males resulting in a narrower gender gap in participation.
o While some sports participated in on an individual basis show an increase in participation (e.g. gym-based activities such as personal exercise and Pilates), the proportion participating in team-based sports has declined. The extent of people dropping out from team sports is much higher than for sports participated in on an individual basis.
o Declines in sports participation are more pronounced among older individuals as well as those living in lower income households and lower socio-economic groups. This is leading to a widening social gradient.
o Walking remains the most popular physical activity among all aged over 35 years old, with more people participating in it than in all forms of sport combined.
o There is a narrowing in the gender divide that exists in cycling for transport.
o 30.2% of adults are meeting the National Physical Activity Guidelines4 through sport and recreational walking.
Children’s and young people’s participation in sport The participation levels of Irish children and young people in sport and physical activity are low in comparison to other countries. The 2010 Children’s Sport Participation and Physical Activity study5 looked at physical activity, physical education and sports participation levels of children and youth in Ireland. The study found that only 19% of primary school children and 12% of post-primary school children are reaching the recommended levels of physical activity. Girls are less likely than boys to meet the recommended physical activity levels and the likelihood of meeting the recommended physical activity levels decreases with age.
The ‘Keeping them in the Game’ report6 looked at participation in sport and recreational exercise from school years through to adulthood and showed the challenges that exist in keeping people involved in sport across the different life stages. The report highlights the growing evidence that links 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. Roughly one-in-ten active participants at primary school have dropped out of sport by the first year of second level education and this is higher in the lower socio-economic group. Another finding of the report which provides support for promoting physical activity in school and elsewhere is the positive association between sports participation and academic performance.
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Media and Technology Media and technology can play a major role in promoting sport both for spectators and participants. The media can help raise the profile of sports which perhaps traditionally received less focus e.g. women’s sport, minority sports or non-traditional sports. Many sports organisations are now also using the power of social media to engage new and existing participants. The policy of promotion of sport through both traditional and social media is one which should be embraced, as it can play a vital role in communicating the benefits of sport and physical activity to a wider audience.
Technology is a huge part of society and is constantly evolving. With the availability of health, fitness, sport and physical activity apps, technology can encourage participation in sport and physical activity. New technology can play a role in increasing participation by allowing users to identify opportunities to take part, connect with other participants, monitor individual progress, share success and set new goals and challenges to aim for. There is a need to ensure that sport can adapt to changing technology and look at the potential of media and technology to encourage increased participation in sport.
Sport vs Physical Activity Sport can have different meanings for different groups and individuals. There are many types of sport varying from recognised sports governed by national bodies to new emerging sporting activities. Similarly there are different ways to participate in sport – some people like to participate in competitive sport while others enjoy the social and/or health aspects of participation but do not wish to take part competitively. Sport Ireland is responsible for increasing participation in recreational sport at national and local level and participation programmes are delivered through the NGBs and the network of LSPs around the country, including programmes aimed at specific target groups, namely women, older people, disadvantaged communities and people with a disability.
In relation to the wider concept of physical activity, encompassing sport and other activities, the first National Physical Activity Plan7 was published on 14 January 2016. The Plan was developed by a cross-sectoral working group which was co-chaired by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Department of Health. This structure was chosen in recognition of the cross-cutting nature of physical activity, where policy on sport, health, education, children, environment and transport all have a key role to play. One of the aims of the National Physical Activity Plan is to strengthen the link between the development of play policy in early childhood and overall physical activity policy in order to ensure a joined up approach to physical activity from childhood through to adult life.
The overarching target of the National Physical Activity Plan is to increase the proportion of the population, across each life stage, undertaking regular physical activity by 1% per annum in the period up to 2020. Targets have been set for the population groups of children,
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adults and older people. A cross-sectoral group has been established to oversee implementation of the National Physical Activity Plan. The group is being co-chaired by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Department of Health and also includes representatives from a number of Government departments and key stakeholders.
Sport forms a key part of the National Physical Activity Plan and a number of specific sport actions are included, but the Plan also considers other means of physical activity including recreational walking, active travel and physical education in schools. While the 2015 Irish Sports Monitor showed that 45% of adults regularly participate in sport, only 30.2% of these people are classed as highly active, meaning that they are meeting the recommended levels of physical activity. In developing the National Sports Policy Framework, consideration will be given to how the Government should best support further increased participation in recreational sport while taking account of the sport actions in the National Physical Activity Plan.
It is vital that future sports policy takes account of the trends identified in the Irish Sports Monitor and other relevant research on participation rates. The National Sports Policy Framework will consider the trends across the different population groups and sports, the growth in participation in individual sports, the continuing popularity of recreational walking and other trends identified to set the future strategic direction for Sport Ireland in the area of participation.
Questions for consideration . Who should the Government target to increase participation levels in sport – e.g. get the inactive to start participating; get the active more active; or other targets?
. How can the reach and influence of the sports sector be used to get more people active, especially those who have been inactive for a long time?
. How should under-represented groups be targeted in order to narrow the existing gradients in participation levels across the lifecycle, in particular disability, gender and social gradients?
. What is the scope for collaboration between different sports to promote greater participation in sport at all levels?
. How can support for traditional sports and new emerging sports be balanced with increasing participation levels?
. Can the sports sector provide more support in the delivery of sport in schools?
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. How should the drop-off points in participation by children and young people be addressed?
. How should participation in sport be measured?
. How should investment in participation be measured?
. How can traditional and social media be more effective in promoting sport?
. How can the potential of new technology be maximised to increase participation in sport?
. Are there other challenges and issues that need to be addressed in this area?
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5. High Performance The last number of years have been very successful for Irish high performance sport with a wide range of achievements by Irish athletes and teams at national and international level. Our elite sportspeople have proven to be great ambassadors both at home and abroad and fantastic role models for young people. Their performances and achievements can inspire the next generation by encouraging sports participation at local level.
The most recent example is the performance by Team Ireland at the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In addition to 2 medals, the Olympic athletes achieved 16 top ten and 14 top twenty finishes, compared to 14 and 6 respectively in the London 2012 Games. Ireland’s Paralympic athletes won 11 medals at the Rio Games and achieved 22 top eight finishes. A full list of achievements from Rio 2016 is shown at Appendix 2.
Sport Ireland expenditure on High Performance Sport The table and graph below shows expenditure on High Performance by Sport Ireland (previously the Irish Sports Council) from 2006 to 2015.
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Expenditure (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) High Performance † 8.5 11.7 14.8 11.7 11.7 12.3 11.7 11.5 12.9 11.7 Total current expenditure 40.9 54.0 57.2 51.7 49.6 46.8 44.5 43.4 43.2 44.3 % of total current expenditure 21% 22% 26% 23% 24% 26% 26% 26% 30% 26%
†These figures do not include administration costs
60.0
50.0
40.0 High Performance expenditure €m 30.0 Total current expenditure on sport €m 20.0
10.0
0.0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
A breakdown of the High Performance expenditure is included at Appendix 3.
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High Performance structure Sport Ireland is responsible for the improvement of standards in high performance sport. With the establishment of Sport Ireland, all of the bodies connected with high performance sport (Irish Institute of Sport, Coaching Ireland and National Sports Campus) are now embedded in one entity. This presents a real opportunity to deliver a more enhanced and integrated programme of work in order to achieve greater and more sustained high performance success.
The Olympic Council of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland are key stakeholders in Irish high performance sport. Sport Ireland had operational agreements in place with both organisations for the period 2013-2016. These agreements provide a framework for how the various interactions between the organisations worked up to and including the 2016 Rio Games.
It is the aim of the high performance system to ensure that Ireland's performances in elite international sport improve and to create consistent success at elite level. This is defined as producing Irish athletes who can reach and compete in the finals at European, World, Olympic and Paralympic level.
There are two specific funding programmes in place - the High Performance Programme and the International Carding Scheme, which is the system used by Sport Ireland to provide income support to elite athletes. In 2016, funding of almost €1.8 million has been provided to 86 athletes from 14 sports through the International Carding Scheme. A list of all athletes and teams receiving funding through the International Carding Scheme in 2016 is listed at Appendix 4.
Performance Planning is the mechanism that Sport Ireland uses to invest in NGBs that have High Performance Plans. It enables Sport Ireland to determine the medal potential of individual sports and athletes. It provides the underpinning evidence which enables investment decisions to be made where resources are targeted at sports best placed to succeed at international level. It is the basis for the subsequent oversight of investment to ensure that a return on investment is delivered for public funds. Sport Ireland (and previously the Irish Sports Council) commissions a review of the high performance process following each four-year Olympic and Paralympic cycle and the Rio 2016 Review has now commenced.
As well as the funding programmes, the Institute of Sport at the National Sports Campus provides support services directly to sports bodies, coaches and athletes, and athletes can also avail of the world-class training facilities at the National Sports Campus. The Institute of Sport was established following a key recommendation of the 2005 Athens Review (the review of the Athens Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2004), with a vision of providing
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world leading service to elite Irish athletes. This includes sports science and medicine co- ordination, athlete career and performance lifestyle support, and elite coach development and education.
The Institute’s Athlete Career Development Programme provides career management support to high performance athletes. This support typically involves athletes who are managing part time employment as well as a full career as a high performance athlete. It also provides preparation for a post-sport transition to the next career. This programme sits within the broader Athlete Lifestyle support provision which also encompasses support for athletes in education and development of personal life skills. The Career Development Programme has four specific strands that are offered to athletes during their competitive sport career and a holistic transition support at the point of retirement from sport.
In developing the National Sports Policy Framework, a comprehensive review of the current high performance system will be carried out to find out if the system is working as effectively as possible and if there are areas that could be improved. The review will examine international high performance models and identify if there are best practice structures that could be applied to the Irish system.
Questions for consideration . What targets should be set for high performance sport e.g. number of medals won, podium finishes, impact on participation levels, others? . What are the strengths of the current high performance structures i.e. talent identification and management process for elite athletes, supports for elite athletes during and post their sporting career etc., and how can these be further enhanced? . Is the balance right as to the focus of Government spending on the various elements of high performance (carding scheme, coaching, NGBs, support services etc.)? . Should the high performance structure be more centralised or be devolved to individual NGBs and how should the respective roles of the Department, Sport Ireland and NGBs be defined? . What criteria should be applied when identifying what sports should qualify for High Performance support? Should the strategy be to fund a wide range of sports or focus on a smaller number of sports? . What successful international high performance models could Ireland learn from? . Are there other challenges and issues that need to be addressed in this area?
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6. Local and Regional Facilities Government investment in sports facilities, including indoor sports facilities, is provided primarily through the Sports Capital Programme (SCP) and the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme (LASPP). The Sports Capital Programme is the Government’s primary vehicle for supporting the development of local and regional sports facilities and the purchase of sports equipment. The Programme aims to foster an integrated and planned approach to developing sports and physical recreation facilities throughout the country. In particular, its objectives are to:
assist voluntary and community organisations, NGBs, local authorities, Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and schools to develop high quality, safe, well-designed, sustainable facilities in appropriate locations and to provide appropriate equipment to help maximise participation in sport and physical recreation prioritise the needs of disadvantaged areas in the provision of sports facilities encourage the multi-purpose use of local, regional and national sports facilities by clubs, community organisations and national governing bodies of sport
Between 2011 and 2015, a total of almost €134 million was allocated1 under the Sports Capital Programme for sporting facilities with €31 million allocated in 2012, €40.5 million provided in 2014, and €41 million in 2015, and a further €21 million made through special allocations.
These allocations have provided support for more than 2,600 projects nationally. The 2015 programme allocations announced in October 2015 provided funding for more than 40 sports. Almost €35 million was allocated for local projects while just over €6 million was allocated to non-local projects. The application and assessment process places an emphasis on rewarding clubs and organisations that share facilities as well as on applications received from disadvantaged areas. In 2015, €14.5 million was allocated to 305 projects that are located in or serve CLAR and RAPID areas.
The 2017 Estimates Statement confirmed that a new round of the Sports Capital Programme will be open for applications in January 2017 with allocations expected later that year.
Allocations by the Sports Capital Programme 2014-2015 by sport* are shown overleaf as a percentage of overall allocation. A full list of all allocations by sport is included in Appendix 5.
1 These are allocations figures and differ from the payment figures in the Financing Irish Sport section as it can take grantees several years to draw down grants.
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*Gaelic Games includes Gaelic football (men’s and ladies’), hurling, camogie and handball
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport also administers the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme. Under the programme, grant aid to a maximum of €3.8 million is provided to local authorities towards the capital costs of the provision of new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools. Since 2000, 50 projects have been completed. Since 2011, there have also been allocations to Local Authority pools for works to improve energy efficiency and disabled access.
In developing the National Sports Policy Framework, consideration will be given to how future capital investment in sports facilities can best support both increased participation in sport and physical activity and support for elite athletes. There is a need to ensure that future provision of sports facilities avoids a duplication of services and that value for money is achieved. Issues that will be considered include maximising the use of facilities; addressing barriers to facility use and accessibility; the balance of funding between local and regional facilities; better linking programme and capital investment in sports facilities; and whether there is a need to subsidise the operation of certain publicly funded sports facilities.
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Questions for consideration . Are any of the terms and conditions of the Sports Capital Programme acting as barriers to facility development and/or to certain groups accessing funding?
. Are there ways to achieve a more joined-up approach to the provision of publicly funded sports facilities?
. How to address barriers to facility use in order to maximise usage, and how to ensure that sports facilities meet the highest accessibility standards for participants, spectators and workers?
. What should be the balance of funding between local and non-local sports facilities?
. What facilities can best drive increased participation and/or improved performance and what should be the balance of funding between facilities/equipment designed to increase participation and those aimed at improving performance?
. How to better link desired outcomes, current programmes and capital investment in sports facilities?
. Should some or all publicly funded sports facilities be self-financing or to what extent, if any, should the public sector become involved in subsidising the operation of these facilities?
. Should state funding be focused on multi-sport facilities and equipment that can support a large number of sports?
. Should state funding be concentrated on sports that can be participated in for life?
. How should the state best help in the provision of facilities/equipment for minority sports, emerging sports and participation outside of formal club structures?
. Are there other challenges and issues that need to be addressed in this area?
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7. National Sports Campus The National Sports Campus at Abbotstown, Blanchardstown is an important part of Ireland’s sporting infrastructure. There has been significant progress at the Campus in the last few years with the development of world-class training facilities where elite athletes can prepare for national and international competitions. Athletes have access to the services provided by the Institute of Sport and to a range of world-class facilities at the National Sports Campus. The development of facilities at the Campus is proceeding on an incremental basis as funding becomes available.
Funding for the National Sports Campus 2006-2015
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Funding (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) National Sports Campus 2.2 9.0 6.5 6.4 5.5 2.2 5.7 9.8 6.2 31.8
National Sports Campus Funding 35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0 National Sports Campus 15.0 Funding €m
10.0
5.0
0.0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Development of National Sports Campus The concept of a National Sports Campus located at Abbotstown, Blanchardstown in Dublin first emerged in the 1999 PriceWaterhouseCooper feasibility study “A Stadium for a New Century”. In 2000 the then Government adopted the study and decided to proceed with the development of Sports Campus Ireland. At that time it was also decided to build the National Aquatic Centre (NAC) as the first element of the Campus. Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited (CSID) was established to progress the Campus Concept. The
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NAC, the first element of the Campus, was completed on time and within budget and opened in March 2003.
The then Government subsequently decided in January 2004 to proceed with the phased development of a National Sports Campus and CSID was requested to draw up a Phased Development Programme, associated business case and annual budgets sufficient to deliver the component elements of a National Sports Campus. After consultation with various sporting bodies and other stakeholders, CSID drew up a Development Control Plan in October 2004. The plan set out proposals for the phased development of the National Sports Campus and estimated the cost at €199 million including VAT. Following consideration of the Development Control Plan, the then Government decided in November 2005 to proceed with the development of the initial phase of the Sports Campus over a five year period. Planning permission for the National Sports Campus was secured in 2009.
The National Sports Campus Development Authority (NSCDA), formally established on 1 January 2007, prepared revised delivery plans in 2010 that would enable the Project to be delivered on a phased basis. The revised plans involved an incremental development commencing with core indoor facilities at a cost of €40.6 million combined with a partnership approach to developing field sport facilities through the leasing of sites reserved on Campus for individual sports bodies. In June 2011, the then Government approved these proposals for the development of the National Sports Campus on an incremental basis.
Current Facilities The following facilities are currently in place at the National Sports Campus: National Aquatic Centre National Horse Sport Arena National Modern Pentathlon Centre National Diving Training Centre High Performance Training Centre FAI National Training Centre GAA National Games Development Centre Multi-Sport Synthetic Pitch facility Two large multi-sport turf pitches accommodating Gaelic games, football and rugby
Usage of these facilities varies, for example visitor numbers to the National Aquatic Centre in 2015 were 991,554 and the more recently developed National Horse Sport Arena recorded 209 bookings/events in 2015. More detail on usage of the National Sports Campus facilities is included at Appendix 6.
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Significant Projects in the Pipeline Upcoming significant sports facility developments at the National Sports Campus are detailed in the table below2.
Name Description Status National Indoor Arena –Phase 1 World-class indoor training facilities Scheduled for completion for a wide range of sports including in November 2016 athletics, gymnastics, badminton, volleyball, table tennis, basketball, fencing and numerous others.
IRFU Field Sport Facilities Rugby pitch development Partnership Development Agreements in place. Commencement is linked with National Indoor Arena Phase 2 below.
IHA Field Sport Facilities Hockey pitch development Partnership Development Agreements in place.
National Indoor Arena – Phase Covered Synthetic Pitch facility and Planning permission 2 ancillary facilities (such as changing granted. Work on cost rooms) designed primarily for rugby, benefit analysis etc. is on- soccer and GAA, but capable of going. accommodating all field sports.
National Badminton and Training facilities for badminton and Planning permission Velodrome Training Centre cycling, comprising a 250m cycling granted. track and 12 badminton courts.
High Performance Cricket High Performance training facility Funding provided by the Facility including 14 grass nets, 90m outfield, International Cricket artificial practice area and seating Council and private donor. Ministerial approval granted. Work on the new facility is expected to start, subject to the necessary planning permission, in early 2017.
2 The table addresses the more significant sports facility projects proposed. In terms of minor projects, work on a National Cross Country Track and Jogging Trail were also completed in 2016.
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While no formal proposal has yet been received in the Department, it is understood that there is an intention also to propose the development of elite athlete accommodation at the Campus. Various options and funding possibilities have been mentioned, from the option of refurbishing existing buildings on the Campus site to cater for elite athletes only, to the option of constructing a high standard commercial hotel, using private investment, which would also cater for paying guests.
Reviews There have been two key reviews of the overall Campus project at 5-year intervals in the past, leading to approval by Government of the phased development of the project. Now that the phased delivery plan as approved by Government in 2011 is nearing completion, it seems timely to conduct another review to determine the further strategic direction for the Campus project.
Operation and management of the National Sports Campus A subsidiary of Sport Ireland – NSCDA (Operations) Limited – is responsible for the day-to- day management and operation of the National Sports Campus sporting facilities. It also provides building management services for the office accommodation provided to NGBs on Campus. In addition, the company took over responsibility in 2010 for the day-to-day operation of Morton Stadium, the National Athletics Stadium in Santry.
An assessment of the operation of the National Sports Campus in terms of its focus and objectives will be important to determine whether the main focus should be on facilities for high performance sport and supporting our elite athletes, or on increasing participation in sport by the general/local population, or as to whether a balance between both objectives would be most appropriate. A decision on this would present a vision and focus for the future, and would also be closely connected with the potential financing model choices available for the Campus.
The development of the National Sports Campus not only constitutes a capital expense, it also involves significant ongoing costs for the maintenance and operation of Campus facilities. NSCDA (Operations) Ltd. receives, through Sport Ireland, an annual operational subsidy towards costs associated with the operation of the National Aquatic Centre and other Campus facilities. The subsidy provided in 2015 was €1.2 million. While the experience internationally of similar facilities shows that subsidising by a public authority can generally be regarded as the norm, it must be considered that the level of subsidy could potentially be offset by focusing on the revenue which could be generated by the facilities, in particular from such areas as Aquazone admittance fees for families, gym memberships etc. Greater clarity on the strategic vision for the National Sports Campus, including the desired focus on elite usage versus participation, or a mix, will be key also to help determine the desired balance as between revenue generation and subsidy.
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Campus as the Home of Irish Sport The National Sports Campus is widely regarded as the home of Irish Sport Administration. Sports HQ is home to 20 National Governing Bodies including the FAI. Sport Ireland will move its offices to the National Sports Campus, and a HQ for Special Olympics Ireland was officially opened in November 2016. Further additional HQ accommodation for other NGBs is also planned. The Campus Pavilion Building opened in September 2015 and provides meeting and conference facilities for all NGBs of sport.
Vision for the Future As it has been five years since the 2011 Government Decision regarding the development and implementation plan for the National Sports Campus, the National Sports Policy Framework provides an opportunity to settle a clear vision and underpin a new strategic decision by Government on the future development of Campus. This will include considering what the future vision for the Campus should be in terms of whether its primary focus should be as a high performance facility for elite sport, towards increasing participation, or finding a viable mix of both that can be accommodated. Consideration will also be given to opportunities provided by different financing models, consistent with the chosen vision, and to the appropriate balance to be struck between revenue generation and subsidisation of the various facilities. Against that backdrop, the National Sports Policy Framework will reflect on the priorities for the National Sports Campus over the medium term.
Questions for consideration . What are the views of stakeholders on existing facilities at the National Sports Campus and their usage? What are the success stories? Are there areas for improvement?
. What are the views of stakeholders on an overall vision for the Campus and where its primary focus should be, in terms of supporting high performance or increasing participation or is there a viable balance that can be met and what might that be?
. What should be the priorities for the National Sports Campus over the medium term?
. What different models should be considered for financing of Campus facilities, for example Exchequer funding, borrowings, philanthropy, private sector investment, sponsorship etc.? What steps might be needed to ensure the appropriate balance as between sports policy objectives and financing objectives?
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. Are there views on the most appropriate model for the development of specific projects already proposed or anticipated to be proposed (e.g. National Badminton and Velodrome Training Centre, Athlete Accommodation) and financing for same?
. Should there be a stronger focus towards generating revenue from the various facilities at Campus in order to cover costs and thereby reduce the overall requirement for subsidy? Are there views on appropriate access/pricing strategies for the various facilities?
. Are there other gaps, challenges or issues that need to be addressed in this area?
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8. Governance It is vital that the highest standards of governance are in place across all levels of Irish sport to ensure accountability, fairness and transparency across organisational activities and support the integrity of sport both at home and abroad. The implementation of good governance practices in sport has improved significantly in recent years. Sport Ireland has worked closely with NGBs to provide supports and services with a focus on improving governance within sports bodies, including support for strategic planning, internal audit and financial management. There is an established procedure in place for Sport Ireland to provide support to any particular governing body that encounters difficulties.
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has published a ‘Corporate Governance Standard for the Civil Service’8 which details the core principles to which Government Departments and bodies under their aegis adhere. The implementation of the Standard across the Civil Service presents an opportunity to formally define current arrangements and seek to strengthen governance across Departments. It is being implemented as a key part of Civil Service Renewal. In line with this standard, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport published a Corporate Governance Framework9 in April 2016 which sets out a comprehensive overview of the corporate governance arrangements that exist and operate within the Department. The framework also provides an overview of the approach applied in the external governance and oversight of the agencies under the aegis of the Department including Sport Ireland.
The Department is responsible for the corporate governance of Sport Ireland, and liaises on an on-going basis with Sport Ireland regarding implementation of its strategy, financial controls and work programme priorities. The development of the National Sports Policy Framework provides an opportunity to consider options for oversight of Sport Ireland, as the State Agency responsible for the delivery of sport policy. This may include options such as regular reviews of performance, how Sport Ireland manages its relationship with its many key stakeholders and a standardised approach to budget approval and business planning.
Sport Ireland As a State Body, Sport Ireland must comply fully with the provisions of the Sport Ireland Act 2015 and with the requirements of the 2009 Department of Finance Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies10, in particular in meeting its statutory obligations and performance targets. Sport Ireland is also required to ensure all the necessary frameworks, including: those for risk management, internal audit and the Public Spending Code11 are fully complied with and that all of its committees conform to the highest standards of corporate governance.
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Sport Ireland has an important role in governance issues for NGBs and in ensuring that taxpayers’ money is used in the most effective way and is properly accounted for. However it is important that NGBs, which are independent entities, have some autonomy in terms of decision making within their own organisations.
Sport Ireland operates a recognition process for emerging sports/disciplines wishing to become recognised as a National Governing Body of sport. There is a process for recognition and criteria that must be met. The applicant should be able to demonstrate that it is a functioning corporate body, is affiliated with a relevant international organisation, is operating as the governing authority with rules etc. and has clubs and memberships around the country.
National Governing Bodies of Sport The NGBs are central to Irish sport and the achievement of sports policy objectives around participation, performance and excellence. It is important to recognise that not one size fits all and NGBs can range from small organisations run by a number of volunteers to large scale organisations run by full time administrators. However, whatever the size of the organisation, sports organisations in receipt of public funding should have appropriate governance structures in place. The important elements of good governance include:
- Integrity - Fair Procedure, Transparency and Accountability - Leadership to include defining role of board - A balanced, skilled and objective board - Implementation of controls, checks and balances, and - Engaging with the sporting landscape and stakeholders.
The National Sports Policy Framework will seek to set out governance procedures for Irish sport. This will include clarifying the roles of the Department, Sport Ireland, NGBs and all sports bodies in receipt of public funding, and ensuring that appropriate procedures are in place in Sport Ireland so that all NGBs are audited appropriately with a view to addressing any governance issues. The policy will consider options to uphold the highest standards of governance in sport including developing a Governance Code for Sport. Ensuring gender equality in the governance of sport in Ireland is an important objective and consideration will be given to how to best ensure women’s involvement in senior positions in sports leadership including the option to require NGBs to meet a gender balance target.
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Questions for consideration . What best practice measures are already in place or are recommended to be adopted which help uphold the highest standards of governance in sporting bodies generally?
. What is the appropriate role of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport around governance of sporting organisations?
. What is the appropriate role of Sport Ireland in terms of governance?
. What works well in the current recognition process for national governing bodies of sport and are there areas for improvement?
. What changes are needed to the governance structures in place for sporting bodies to improve the accountability, fairness and transparency across organisational activities and the integrity of Irish sport?
. What are the views of stakeholders on introducing requirements for gender balance in NGB leadership?
. Are there other challenges and issues that need to be addressed in this area?
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9. Coaching Coaching is recognised as critical to the advancement of sport at every level and in every aspect. Coaching Ireland, which is based at the University of Limerick, is the unit within Sport Ireland that has the lead role in the development of coaching in Ireland on an all-island basis. It is responsible for improving the standards of coaches and coaching and developing coaches and tutors at all levels in sport.
Coaching Ireland works in partnership with the NGBs in the delivery of the Coaching Development Plan for Ireland (CDPI) within the context of the policies of Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland and the All Island Coaching Strategy. Within the CDPI is the Coach Development Framework which comprises of four levels, ranging from an apprentice coach up to master coach.
Working with its partners Coaching Ireland develops, implements, manages and quality assures coach certification, accreditation, continuing professional development and licensing systems on an all-island basis. The role includes highlighting the importance of quality coaching in developing athletes and providing opportunities for participants.
Sport Ireland expenditure on coaching The table below shows expenditure on coaching by Sport Ireland (previously the Irish Sports Council) from 2006-2015.
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Expenditure (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m)
Coaching (€m) 1.7 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.0 1.0 0.9 Total current expenditure on sport 40.9 54.0 57.2 51.7 49.6 46.8 44.5 43.4 43.2 44.3 % of total current expenditure 4.2% 3.7% 3.3% 3.7% 2.8% 2.8% 2.9% 2.3% 2.3% 2.0%
Questions for consideration . How can it be ensured that sports coaching is as effective as possible at all levels and that coaches are given the necessary support to work with a variety of people, including children, older people and people with disabilities?
. How effective are the current coaching structures?
. Are there areas within the current coaching structures that could be improved?
. Are there other challenges and issues that need to be addressed in this area?
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10. Volunteer engagement Volunteer engagement plays a pivotal role in Irish sport at all levels in addition to contributing to social and economic development. Volunteering in sport has benefits both for those volunteering and those who are able to participate in sport because of volunteers. It can build social inclusion and community cohesion and help develop skills which can be used in the workplace.
It is estimated that there are approximately 500,000 volunteers involved in sport in Ireland and sport is the single biggest driver of voluntary activity in the country. There are many different types of volunteers in sport in areas varying from administration to coaching and ranging from parents volunteering at their local club to administrators at the highest level of governing bodies. Different types of volunteers with different skills are required for different roles. A wide range of skills are required across the entire workforce involved in the administration of Irish sport, whether they are volunteers or paid employees. These range from ‘hard skills’ such as coaching, administration, media, management, governance and human resources to ‘soft skills’ such as teamwork, leadership and motivation.
The 2011 Irish Sports Monitor12 found that volunteering increased significantly between 2009 and 2011, with a greater proportion of people getting involved in the provision of transport and coaching roles. It surmised that the increased free time that many people had due to increased unemployment and other recessionary effects may have contributed towards greater social involvement in sporting structures. While levels remained largely unchanged in 2013, the Irish Sport Monitor Annual Report 2015 shows a slight decrease, from 13.3% to 12.9%.
The 2010 report on the Assessment of Economic Impact of Sport in Ireland estimated the value of volunteering in Ireland in 2008 to be between a lower bound estimate (based on the minimum wage) of €321 million and a higher bound estimate (based on the average industrial wage) of €582 million. Using the same calculations, the 2013 Irish Sports Monitor13 estimated that the higher bound estimate for 2013 was over €1.3 billion a year.
Without sports volunteers, there would undoubtedly be fewer sports activities and those activities would be expensive to produce. This voluntary workforce does however need to be supported and developed and challenges have been identified in relation to the recruitment and retention of volunteers. Due to the increasing professionalisation of sport there are additional compliance requirements at the various levels. This can act as a barrier for volunteers; therefore support at local and national level is required to provide adequate training to cater for additional legal requirements.
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In developing the National Sports Policy Framework, consideration will be given to the structures needed to encourage more people to volunteer in sport and to retain and support existing volunteers.
Questions for consideration . Where are the skills gaps in the sport workforce?
. What are the challenges facing the sports sector in recruiting and retaining volunteers?
. Can success stories be identified in order to show ways to encourage more people to volunteer in sport or existing volunteers to stay engaged over a longer period?
. Are there best practice examples of volunteering in other sectors that could be applied to the sport sector?
. What are the motivation challenges for volunteers in sport?
. What changes, if any, are needed to the coaching structures for volunteers in sport?
. Is the pool of potential volunteers restricted to people already engaged with a sport or can the net be cast wider in the local community?
. Are there ways to link corporate social initiatives to support volunteer engagement in sport?
. Is there scope for non-formal, community based and/or formal education opportunities for adults that could assist NGBs in supporting volunteers in order to meet the changing requirements of sport administration, coaching etc.?
. Are there other challenges and issues that need to be addressed in this area?
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11. Safety in sport The safety of all those involved in sport is paramount whether as participants, competitors, spectators, volunteers, workers etc.
The Code of Practice for Safety at Sports Grounds14 is a voluntary code published in 1996 under the Department of Education (which was then also responsible for sport). The code provides comprehensive guidelines for the organisers of sports events and ground administrators, who have primary responsibility to ensure safety for spectators at sports events. This responsibility should be carried out in compliance with existing legislation and best practice in this area and working in tandem with the relevant statutory authorities. Issues related to crowd safety in general are governed by legislative provisions operating under the aegis of a number of Government Departments including the Departments of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government; Health; Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; and Justice. The Local Authorities, the Garda Síochána and the Health Service Executive all play a key role in assisting ground management and event organisers in meeting their responsibilities.
National Governing Bodies of Sport responsible for large events have regard to the Code of Practice in event management. There have been no updates or reviews to the Code of Practice since it was published in 1996. Any review would require the expertise and assistance of those statutory stakeholders involved in the issue of crowd safety.
Sport Ireland has no statutory role or remit with regard to monitoring or reviewing the safety standards in use by, or applicable to NGBs. Sport Ireland does not review, accredit or endorse any safety standards as part of NGB recognition criteria. NGBs should have regard to existing legislation and guidance issued by relevant statutory agencies. From time to time, individual NGBs publish safety guidance and recognised good practice for their sport (for example NGBs in the adventure activity sector). However, these are not reviewed or approved by Sport Ireland.
In recent years, various sporting organisations, individual sportspeople and others have been raising awareness and educating people on concussion and head injury. NGBs have recognised the need to have guidelines and procedures in place around dealing with concussion. Some NGBs have guidelines regarding concussion and head injury, which stress the importance of ensuring the health and well-being of players. These NGBs are working to deliver the message to their players, coaches and everyone who is involved in their games that concussion and head injury is an issue that needs to be taken seriously. The common principles across all of the guidelines are that any player suspected of having received a concussion should be removed immediately from play and that players who are concussed should take no further part in the match or training. The importance of managers, coaches
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and officials being aware of the symptoms of concussion in order to ensure that it is recognised and managed appropriately cannot be over emphasised.
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Department of Health and the Department of Education and Skills are developing guidelines on concussion in sport and in school settings and will consult with relevant stakeholders during this process.
Questions for consideration . What particular safety challenges need to be addressed around sport?
. What more might the Government and others do to ensure safety in sport?
. What should be the role of NGBs in setting and overseeing appropriate safety standards in sport?
. What standards and safety guidance should be in place for sports and leisure facilities?
. Are there other challenges and issues that need to be addressed in this area?
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12. Integrity of sport and international influence As outlined earlier in the consultation document, it is important to implement good governance practices across all areas of Irish sport, to continue to ensure that appropriate procedures are in place and to adapt to new risks and threats to the integrity of sport. Integrity issues such as anti-doping, corruption and match-fixing are growing global problems and the fight against these issues is being addressed in international forums.
Anti-Doping The Irish Sport Anti-Doping Programme was established in 1999 and is now operated by Sport Ireland. It is an essential ethical foundation to Irish sport and a central pillar of Sport Ireland’s work. The main visions of the programme are:
Education: To facilitate the development and delivery of quality education programmes for all major stakeholders. Testing: To provide an effective, quality-driven testing programme. Research: To establish a long-term research programme which complements and progresses anti-doping research nationally and internationally. International: To keep abreast of international best practice and to collaborate with relevant international initiatives. Administration: To develop and maintain quality standards to ensure correct and transparent administrative procedures.
Sport Ireland has a strong working relationship with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and endeavours to be at the forefront of all WADA initiatives. WADA was established in 1999 as an international independent agency composed of and funded equally by the sport movement and governments of the world. Ireland has ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Anti-Doping and the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport which binds the government to the implementation of a fully functioning National Anti-Doping Programme which complies with all of the relevant articles of the WADA Code.
Sport Ireland expenditure on Anti-Doping The following table shows expenditure on Anti-Doping by Sport Ireland (previously the Irish Sports Council) from 2006-2015.
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Expenditure (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m) (€m)
Anti-Doping 1.1 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.9 Total current expenditure 40.9 54.0 57.2 51.7 49.6 46.8 44.5 43.4 43.2 44.3 % of total current expenditure 2.7% 1.7% 1.6% 1.5% 1.4% 1.7% 1.8% 1.8% 2.1% 2.0%
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Match-Fixing A number of NGBs have administrative rules or practices in place around the misconduct of competitors including match-fixing. In 2012, in response to the growing global threat of match-fixing in sport, the Council of Europe invited parties to the European Cultural Convention to begin negotiations for a Convention against the manipulation of sports results. Negotiations began in October 2012 and the drafting group comprised of over 50 delegations, including Ireland. The Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions was adopted in July 2014 and opened for signature in September 2014. The Convention will come into force following ratification by at least five signatories, three of which must be members of the Council of Europe.
The Council of Europe match-fixing convention covers a number of complex cross- departmental issues such as gambling, money laundering, data protection and criminal issues. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has begun the process of consideration of Ireland’s signature and ratification of the Convention. This will be done in consultation with all Government Departments and stakeholders with a role in this area and identification of the steps Ireland needs to take to comply with the provisions of the Convention.
Sport and the EU Sport has been an EU competence since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2009. While sports policy remains a matter for EU Member States, the EU competence gives the EU and its 28 Member States the opportunity to work more closely together to address issues of common interest. It also gives the EU the opportunity to speak with one voice internationally particularly in areas such as the fight against doping. Since 2010, EU sports ministers meet twice-yearly in a formal context as part of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council. These meetings are a forum to adopt political statements on priorities for EU action and react to topical issues in the field of sport. The National Sports Policy Framework will consider the impact on sport, if any, from the UK electorate’s decision in June 2016 to leave the European Union.
Sport Ireland is the national coordinator for the European Week of Sport in Ireland which is an initiative of the European Commission. The first week in 2015 ran from the 7-30 September and over 300 sporting events were delivered throughout the country over that time. The second European Week of Sport took place between 10-18 September 2016 and consisted of 480 events with over 50,000 participants.
A specific EU funding programme for sport was included for the first time in the EU Erasmus+ programme for education, training, youth and sport for 2014-2020. The Erasmus+ programme has an overall budget of €14.7 billion for the seven years, with a sport budget of almost €266 million. The sport programme is focusing on transnational projects
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supporting grassroots sport and tackling cross-border challenges such as match-fixing, doping, violence and racism, as well as promoting good governance, gender equality, social inclusion and physical activity for all.
Questions for consideration . How effective are the existing structures in place to uphold the integrity of Irish sport across all areas including the fight against doping, match-fixing and corruption and are there areas that could be improved?
. Are there ways that Ireland can more effectively influence international sport issues?
. Are there best practice international models which Ireland could benefit from?
. Are there other challenges and issues that need to be addressed in this area?
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13. Sport in a cross-sectoral context There is a wide range of organisations and entities involved in sport in Ireland, from local to national level, and greater clarity is needed on the strategic direction, desired outcomes and funding for sport across all levels. The development of the National Sports Policy Framework will also consider the cross-sectoral role of sport in the economy, health, education, tourism, business and social areas and how sport can help deliver Government objectives in these areas.
At government level, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has responsibility for the development of sport policy but there are a number of other Government departments with an interest in sport. These include the Department of Children and Youth Affairs; the Department of Education and Skills; the Department of Health; the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government; the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs; and the relevant State agencies under the remit of these Departments. The local authorities have a huge role to play in the delivery of sport programmes and infrastructure at regional and local level.
There is a wide range of sport related issues which require a more cohesive cross- government/sectoral policy approach. Some of the key areas include sport in schools; outdoor recreation; cycling and walking (active travel); and workplaces. There has been improved coordination and partnership in recent years between Government departments in the area of sport, most recently in the development of the cross-sectoral National Physical Activity Plan. The cross-sectoral working group that developed the plan was co- chaired by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Department of Health and also included representatives from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Department of Education and Skills, Local Authorities and key stakeholders.
There is extensive cooperation on an all-island basis in the area of sport. Officials of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland meet regularly to discuss sporting issues of mutual interest. Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland also liaise and engage in a number of high level and strategic programmes which require a joint approach including anti-doping, Code of Ethics, high performance, NGB development and research. Coaching Ireland operates on an all-island basis and many of the NGBs are also organised on an all-island basis.
Sport Ireland works with the NGBs and LSPs to develop and deliver strategies at national and local level to increase participation in sport and support high performance. Sports clubs are pivotal to providing opportunities for participation in sport and increasing levels of participation in local communities. In recent years, many sports clubs are broadening their
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programmes beyond just sport and providing programmes focussing on health and social initiatives.
In order to facilitate engagement in sport and physical activity across the life course, the development of physically literacy in children and young people is vital. The role of schools in this area and the link between Physical Education in schools and sport in local communities is a key issue that has been raised by many stakeholders in recent years. It is also important to recognise the crucial role of parents in embedding sport and physical activity into the daily lives of children.
There is existing cooperation between sport and education around the area of physical activity. Sport Ireland has been delivering the Buntús programmes for primary schools since 2001 through the LSPs to complement the games strand of the PE curriculum and support teachers. A number of the NGBs also deliver Buntús sports specific programmes to schools and there are links between sports clubs and schools in some local communities. There is an opportunity to build on these existing links and to further enhance collaboration between the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Department of Education and Skills in the area of sport. There may also be scope for improved cooperation around the provision of sports infrastructure.
The private sector also has a role in the delivery of public policy objectives in sport and providing opportunities for participation in sport. Personal exercise and swimming are two of the most popular sports activities identified in the Irish Sports Monitor and without the role of the private sector, much fewer people would be able to participate in these sports.
There is a need to adopt a more joined-up approach on the structures and roles for the delivery of sport policy across all levels of Irish sport. It is a complex landscape and this is not an easy task but it is necessary to ensure that optimal policy outcomes are articulated, resources and funding are targeted effectively, that there is no duplication of functions and that strategies can be achieved and targets met. It is important that there is ongoing engagement with all stakeholders including the voluntary and community sector, corporate/commercial sector, media and key stakeholder groups such as parents, athletes, players, coaches, teachers etc.
Questions for consideration . What are the particular challenges presented by the complex landscape identified above? . Are there opportunities for the sports sector to work more effectively with other sectors and for the public and private sector to work together to deliver public policy objectives in sport?
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. How to get the best value in terms of sports policy objectives from the range of investment by different public entities in sport programmes and infrastructure?
. How can the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and other Government departments work better together for the good of sport?
. What formal structure/s needs to be put in place to best support the implementation of and accountability of a cross-Government sports policy across a range of government departments, local authorities, statutory and other bodies?
. Are there other challenges and issues that need to be addressed in this area?
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14. Outdoor recreation The Irish Sports Monitor has shown an upsurge in recent years in participation in outdoor recreational activities such as walking, running, cycling and triathlon. Outdoor sports activities such as hiking, cycling, and water sports are also becoming very popular activities in attracting overseas visitors, and large participative sporting events, such as adventure races, attract increasing numbers of overseas competitors.
Outdoor recreation covers a wide range of activities including canoeing, cycling, diving, kayaking, orienteering, hill walking, mountaineering, mountain biking, rowing, sailing, snorkelling and triathlon. The diverse policy issues around outdoor recreation includes the following: - access - development, maintenance and promotion of outdoor recreation facilities - regulation of outdoor recreation/adventure activities - environmental protection - rural development - increasing participation in outdoor recreation (recreational walking is the most popular form of physical activity in Ireland with over 2 million participating every week) - smarter travel - tourism initiatives At present, there are a number of Government Departments and State Bodies involved in the area of outdoor recreation with a range of structures in place that are not currently administered or funded in a joined-up approach. The main Departments are the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport; the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government; and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has a significant remit for outdoor recreation under each of its three areas of statutory responsibility. The Department is responsible for the smarter travel programme and implementation of the national cycling framework policy. Outdoor recreation tourism has received significant support from Fáilte Ireland.
Sport Ireland has a statutory function to develop strategies for increasing participation in recreational sport at national and local level and to co-ordinate the implementation of those strategies by all involved in promoting recreational sport and providing recreational facilities. Sport Ireland provides funding to a wide range of NGBs involved in outdoor recreation and also leads the national ‘Get Ireland Walking’ Programme. The National Trails
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Office (NTO) of Sport Ireland coordinates and drives the implementation of the Irish Trails Strategy and promotes the use of recreational trails in Ireland. The NTO also maintains a national trails register.
The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government is responsible for local authorities and planning policy. The Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs chairs Comhairle na Tuaithe and has a rural recreation unit in place to coordinate the implementation of the national countryside recreation strategy and the national walks scheme (maintenance programme), and is responsible for the Rural Recreation Officer scheme.
Comhairle na Tuaithe was established in 2004 to address the issue of access to the countryside, to develop a countryside code and to develop a countryside recreation strategy. It is comprised of representatives of the farming organisations, recreational users of the countryside and state bodies with a responsibility or interest in the countryside. In 2015, the then Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government initiated a review of Comhairle na Tuaithe and the 2006 National Countryside Recreation Strategy. This review is ongoing.
Other Government Departments with an outdoor recreation remit include the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; the Department of Climate Change, Communications and Natural Resources; the Department of Education and Skills; and the Department of Social Protection. The National Sports Policy Framework will seek to set out the optimal approach for the development of a joint policy and strategy in this area, taking account of the wide range of issues involved and in consultation with other Government Departments with a role in this area.
Questions for consideration . Given the increasing popularity of participation in outdoor recreational activities, should sport policy focus on further increasing participation levels in this area and getting inactive people participating in physical activity? . Given the diverse range of policy issues involved in outdoor recreation, what formal structure needs to be put in place to best support both the implementation and accountability of a cross-Government policy in this area across a range of government departments, statutory and other bodies? . Are there additional opportunities to promote participation in adventure activities and outdoor sports to overseas visitors? . Are there other challenges and issues that need to be addressed in this area?
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15. Sports Tourism Why do people visit a country? Ultimately, they want to have a good time and enjoy new experiences. Sports Tourism has the potential to provide the spectacle and excitement that tourists are looking for when they search for a destination to provide new and compelling experiences. The sports tourism industry is worth an estimated €450bn globally and is the fastest growing tourism sector. During 2014, overseas activity/sport tourism was worth €900m to Ireland. Tourists engaged in a range of non-competitive sporting activities such as cycling, golf, hiking, walking, angling and water based pursuits. Ireland’s strong position as a destination for these outdoor activities assists in the regional diversification of tourism, and supports Ireland’s overall reputation as a clean, green country that offers a healthy lifestyle and thus enhances our attractiveness as a location of choice for high-skilled employment, investment and entrepreneurship. Sports Tourism is a high yield sector with the adventure or sports traveller spending on average 40% higher than the average overseas holiday maker. The largest source market (50%) is mainland Europe and visitors stay in Ireland on average 7 nights.
Hosting sports events generates additional international visitors and puts Ireland onto travel itineraries as a holiday destination. Events are key motivators for travellers. Every year tourists arrive in Ireland attracted by sporting events across a wide range of disciplines.
Ireland has a proven record of hosting and delivering international sporting events, including the Ryder Cup (2006), Solheim Cup (2011), Tall Ships Race (Waterford & Dublin), Heineken Cup (2013) American Football Games (2012, 2014 and 2016) and the Giro d’Italia (Belfast to Dublin, 2014). Events of scale including the successful bids to host the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2017 and the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament at the Aviva Stadium, as well as the all-Island bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup, further demonstrate an appetite to attract and host international sporting events in the future.
Many global host destinations have refocused their event bidding ambitions on foot of the global economic crisis, with established destinations tailoring their prospecting to events which have the potential to deliver economic return and are aligned to existing sporting infrastructure. Against this backdrop there is a sense that Ireland could secure a larger piece of the Sports Tourism market.
Fáilte Ireland is intensely focused on developing and growing a strong stable pipeline of events to ensure sustainable growth and recognise sport tourism as a key sector. They have created a dedicated and expert “Event Ireland” team to identify, bid for, and win events for Ireland. During 2015, the Fáilte Ireland team supported National Governing Bodies in securing 9 future events for Ireland, with the potential to deliver 90,000 bednights.
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Event Ireland’s goal is to act as Ireland’s bidding agency, and as such an evolving range of practical and financial supports are available at all stages of the bid process from initial identification to post event. Event Ireland are ideally looking for opportunities that are available for bidding, deliver international bednights, and have sufficient lead-in time and private sector investment.
Available supports are highlighted in the following table: Stage Summary Event Ireland Supports Identification Identification of Suitable Research & Event Prospecting Event & Potential Identification of suitable events Interest
Pre-bid Feasibility & Decision to Feasibility & Risk Assessment Bid Commitment of Future Support Travel to preceding event for feasibility purposes
Bidding Hosting Proposition Hosted Site inspections for decision makers Campaign Personalised and hosted Familiarisation trips Agreeing Host Contract Bid Documentation/collateral preparation and production Destination Information/ Letters of Support Marketing support, personalised videos & campaigns Budget Planning Bid presentation travel costs & Networking Events Contract negotiation and support Access to Mentoring support Financial support towards suitable event Preparation Developing Readiness Marketing Campaign/PR & Promotion via channels Leveraging Benefits Introduction to industry trade partners Campaign Promotion Evolving supports as required by NGB Staging Event Delivery Evolving supports as required by NGB Realising Benefits Communications/ Collateral/Signage Minister Speaking Opportunities Hosted Observer Programmes Lord Mayor Reception Post Event Capture data, Economic Impact Studies knowledge, experience Building case studies/ Narrative of Ireland as a host Feedback Loop destination Telling the Story Identification of Further Events
The Government’s Tourism Policy Statement, “People, Place and Policy - Growing Tourism to 2025”, recognises that sporting events (including large scale international ones but also smaller participative sporting events) should play a part in achieving our future tourism
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growth targets. A Tourism Action Plan for the period 2016-2018 was launched on 28 January 2016. The Action Plan was prepared by the Tourism Leadership Group which includes representatives from a broad range of tourism stakeholders from the public and private sector. The Plan contains 23 Actions which will be carried out in order to help achieve the overall policy objectives of the tourism policy statement and includes a commitment that the National Sports Policy Framework will include specific objectives with regard to sports-related tourism. Actions are also included in relation to the 2023 Rugby World Cup bid and the Plan also commits that Fáilte Ireland will engage with relevant sporting bodies to make their activities more accessible to overseas visitors.
Questions for consideration . How can the objectives of the sport and tourism sectors be married?
. Are stakeholders aware of the current structure and supports available to attract events to Ireland?
. What changes would stakeholders make to the structure and supports available?
. What type of events should Ireland seek to attract in order to ensure its fair share of the global sports tourism market? Where should Ireland position itself in order to attract sports tourism?
. Does sport have a role in achieving regionality and seasonality objectives in tourism? Can we attract more sports tourists to destinations outside Dublin and during the shoulder season? How can this be achieved?
. Are there other challenges and issues that need to be addressed in this area?
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16. Financing Irish Sport Government funding for sport in 2016 is €126 million, which is an increase of 40% on the 2015 allocation. It is recognised that the decrease in public funding available for sport in recent years due to the economic crisis has put pressure on the finances of local and national sporting organisations, the majority of whom are heavily reliant on Exchequer funding.
Sports Programme Funding 2006-2015
Current and Capital funding for Sport
160 2006 to 2015 140 120 100 80 Funding for Sport €m 60 40 20 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Irish Sports National Sports Capital Local Authority Total Council (€m) Sports Programme Swimming Pools (€m) Campus (€m) (€m) Programme (€m) 2006 40.9 2.2 60.0 22.8 125.9 2007 54.0 9.0 63.7 27.8 154.5 2008 57.2 6.5 60.1 20.5 144.3 2009 51.7 6.4 58.7 11.7 128.5 2010 49.6 5.5 50.0 3.1 108.2 2011 46.8 2.2 23.4 9.5 81.9 2012 44.5 5.7 19.8 7.7 77.7 2013 43.4 9.8 13.6 5.5 72.3 2014 43.2 6.2 20.9 0.9 71.2 2015 44.3* 31.8 28.0 1.6 105.7 Total (€m) 475.6 85.3 398.2 111.1 1070.2
*Irish Sports Council Figure for 2015 includes Dormant Account Funding of €1.8 million
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Current programme expenditure by Sport Ireland 2006-2015 (previously the Irish Sports Council)
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Expenditure €m €m €m €m €m €m €m €m €m €m
Participation † 25.4 33.9 33.7 32.6 31.1 29.1 26.7 25.7 25.0 27.5 High Performance † 8.5 11.7 14.8 11.7 11.7 12.3 11.7 11.5 13.0 11.7 Coaching 1.7 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.0 1.0 0.9 Anti Doping † 1.1 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.9
Other Costs⁰ 4.3 5.5 6.0 4.7 4.8 3.2 4.1 4.3 3.4 3.2
Total 40.9 54.0 57.2 51.7 49.6 46.8 44.5 43.4 43.2 44.3
†These figures do not include administration costs ⁰Other costs include Direct Programming Costs, Staffing Costs and other Miscellaneous Expenses NOTE: Participation Figure for 2015 includes Dormant Account Funding of €1,795,000
Breakdown between Participation and High Performance expenditure by Sport Ireland 2006-2015
Expenditure 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Participation † 62% 63% 59% 63% 63% 62% 60% 59% 58% 62%
High Performance † 21% 22% 26% 23% 24% 26% 26% 26% 30% 26%
It is important that future funding for sport is targeted at the right interventions. It is also important that sports organisations which are reliant on Exchequer funding should consider ways to diversify their income streams. While some national governing bodies of sport are successful in generating commercial revenue including sponsorship, broadcast rights and commercial partnerships, many sports organisations, particularly smaller bodies, find it difficult to generate commercial investment. Other sectors such as the arts and culture sector have benefitted from philanthropic support, and this is an area that could be explored for the sports sector.
The development of the National Sports Policy Framework will consider options for the future financing of sport. This will include where the focus of future Government funding for sport should be targeted, the scope to introduce a system of multi-annual programme funding for sport and the potential for other funding sources such as fundraising, membership fees, philanthropy, media rights etc.
A number of cross-departmental issues have arisen in recent years which have an impact on sport and the ability of sports organisations to generate income. These include alcohol sponsorship of sports events and the designation of sporting events as free-to-air television events. The National Sports Policy Framework will consider these and other cross-sectoral issues and the continued role of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in inputting to policy decisions in these areas.
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Questions for consideration . As there will always be competition for Government resources between different priorities, what is the most significant reason why sports funding should be maintained/ increased?
. How can funding for sport be optimised while keeping public sector objectives firmly central?
. What would be the appropriate balance of Government funding between high performance and participation?
. How can new sources of commercial investment into sport and/or philanthropic contributions to sport and sports bodies be encouraged?
. Is it possible for some governing bodies, depending on size, to be self-sustaining?
. In the case of smaller NGBs which are predominantly financed by public funding, would it be a more effective use of funds to provide shared supports for administration etc.?
. How can it be ensured that commercial revenue available to certain sports benefit the grassroots level of that sport?
. Are there other challenges and issues that need to be addressed in this area?
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17. Measuring the impact of sport The new National Sports Policy Framework will consider how the impact of sport should be measured and identify the mechanisms that should be put in place to evaluate the short, medium and long-term effectiveness of funding, policies and interventions in sport. There is a need to identify clear and comprehensive outputs and outcomes across all areas of the policy framework. This will involve consideration of issues wider than levels of participation in sport and the number of medals won and looking at the broader outcomes that sport can deliver. Sport’s impact across a range of issues will be considered including physical and mental wellbeing; individual development; social and community development; and economic development.
It is important to have a sound evidence base to feed into the development of policy and measure the impact of policies delivered. Continued research across all areas of sport is a key tool and the National Sports Policy Framework will consider if there are gaps in current research on sport and the priorities for the coming years.
Questions for consideration . How should Government investment in sport be measured?
. How can appropriate evaluative mechanisms be developed which inform on the short, medium and long-term effectiveness of funding, policies and interventions in sport?
. What outputs and outcomes should be included across the different areas of the sports policy framework?
. How can the broader outcomes from sport be quantified?
. Are there gaps in the current evidence base for sport?
. Are there other challenges and issues that need to be addressed in this area?
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Appendix 1 - Trends in participation levels in sport 2007-2015
Participation in Sport 2007-2015
Overall Participation in Sport 50
40
30
% Participation 20
10
0 2007 2008 2009 2011 2013 2015
.
Participation in Sport by Gender 2007 – 2015
60
50
40
30 Men Women 20
10
0 2007 2008 2009 2011 2013 2015
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Participation in Sport by Employment Status
60
50
40 Employed
30 Self-Employed
20 Unemployed - Looking for Work
10
0 2007 2008 2009 2011 2013 2015
Participation in Sport by Educational Qualification
70
60
50
40 Primary/Lower Junior Certificate 30 Leaving Certificate Third Level 20
10
0 2007 2008 2009 2011 2013 2015
.
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Appendix 2 – Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Performances by Team Ireland Olympic Games Team Ireland Olympic Performance Top 10 Top 20 Rio 2016 16 14 (30 total) London 2012 14 6 (20 total) Beijing 2008 9 5 (14 total) Athens 2004 3 10 (13 total)
Top 8 Event Result Paul O’Donovan & Gary O’Donovan Rowing – LM2x Silver Medal Annalise Murphy Sailing – Laser Radial Silver Medal Robert Heffernan 50km Race Walks 6th Place Thomas Barr 400m Hurdles 4th Place Stephen Donnelly Boxing – 69kg Quarter Final Katie Taylor Boxing – 60kg Quarter Final Oliver Dingley Diving – 3m Springboard 8th Place Eventing Team Eventing 8th Place Arthur Lanigan O’Keeffe Modern Pentathlon 8th Place Natalya Coyle Modern Pentathlon 7th Place Sinead Jennings & Claire Lambe Rowing – LW2x 6th Place Michael Conlon Boxing – 56kg Quarter Final
Top 10 Event Result Scott Evans Badminton – Singles Joint 9th Place Jonty Evans Individual Eventing 9th Place Hockey Team Men’s Hockey Ranked 10th in world Ryan Seaton & Matt McGovern Sailing – 49er 10th Place
Top 16 Event Result Joe Ward Boxing – 69kg Last 16 Dan Martin Cycling – Road Race 13th Place Seamus Power Men’s Golf Joint 15th Place Sanita Puspure Rowing – W1X 13th Place Saskia Tidey & Andrea Brewster Sailing – 49er FX 12th Place Shane Ryan 100m Backstroke 16th Place David Oliver Joyce Boxing – 60kg Last 16
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Top 20 Event Result Brendan Boyce 50km Race Walks 19th Place Mark English 800m 17th Place Ciara Mageean 1500m 17th Place Sara Treacy 3000m Steeplechase 17th Place Fionnuala McCormack Marathon 20th Place Judy Reynolds Dressage 18th Place Nicholas Quinn 200m Breaststroke 19th Place
Paralympic Games Team Ireland Paralympic Performance Top 10 Top 20 Rio 2016 11 22 London 2012 16 27 Beijing 2008 5 18 Athens 2004 4 2
Medals Event Result Jason Smyth 100m T13 Gold Michael McKillop 1500m T37 Gold Eoghan Clifford Cycling – Time Trial C3 Gold Katie-George Dunleavy & Eve McCrystal Cycling – 1km Time Trial B Gold Orla Barry Discus F57 Silver Niamh McCarthy Discus F41 Silver Colin Lynch Time Trial C2 Silver Katie-George Dunleavy & Eve McCrystal Cycling – Road Race B Silver Noelle Lenihan Discus F38 Bronze Eoghan Clifford Cycling -– Individual Pursuit C3 Bronze Ellen Keane 100m Backstroke SB8 Bronze
Top 8 Event Result Greta Streimikyte 1500m T13 4th Place Eoghan Clifford Cycling – Road Race C1-2-3 5th Place Colin Lynch Cycling – Track C2 3000m 5th Place Individual Pursuit Katie-George Dunleavy & Eve McCrystal Cycling – Track B 3000m 5th Place Individual Pursuit Nicole Turner 50m Butterfly S6 5th Place Rena McCarron Rooney Table Tennis – Singles Classes 1-2 Joint 5th – Qtr Finals Deirdre Mongan Shot Put F53 6th Place* Patrick O’Leary Canoeing KL3 6th Place* Damien Vereker & Sean Hahessy Cycling – Road Time Trial B 6th Place
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Top 8 Event Result James Scully 200m Freestyle S5 6th Place Katie-George Dunleavy & Eve McCrystal Cycling – Track B 1000m Time 7th Place Trial James Scully 100m Freestyle S5 7th Place Nicole Turner 50m Freestyle S6 7th Place Nicole Turner 100m Breaststroke SB6 7th Place Nicole Turner 200m Individual Medley SM6 7th Place Orla Comerford 100m T13 8th Place Damien Vereker & Sean Hahessy Cycling – Track B 100m Time Trial 8th Place Nicole Turner 400m Freestyle S6 8th Place Damien Vereker & Sean Hahessy Cycling – Track B 4000m 8th Place Individual Pursuit Ellen Keane 100m Backstroke S9 8th Place Ellen Keane 100m Butterfly 8th Place Catherine Walsh & Francine Meehan Para-Triathlon 8th Place* *Signifies where there was a Top 8 performance in an event with less than 12 competitors
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Appendix 3 - Breakdown of high performance expenditure 2006-2015
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
International 2.12 2.28 2.70 2.50 2.85 2.32 2.61 1.62 1.56 1.55 Carding Paralympic 0.21 0.63 0.51 0.29 0.25 0.40 0.30 0.31 0.50 0.33 Council of Ireland Olympic 0.35 0.53 0.52 0.36 0.35 0.42 0.46 0.40 0.45 0.35 Council of Ireland Team Golf Ireland 0.29 0.26 0.22 0.26 0.22 0.21 0.18 0.16 0.17 0.20 Morton Stadium 0.13 0.12 0.13 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 High Performance 4.54 6.57 5.96 6.07 5.65 6.48 6.43 6.59 7.50 6.56 Grants 50 Metre Pool 0.30 0.32 0.33 0.33 0.32 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 Institute of Sport and related 0.58 1.04 0.97 0.70 0.84 1.07 1.24 1.09 1.38 1.40 programmes Grants for Gaelic 3.50 1.05 1.05 0.99 0.90 0.90 0.90 Players* Total 8.52 11.75 14.84 11.71 11.68 12.34 11.67 11.52 12.91 11.74 *There are differing definitions of High Performance, and grants for Gaelic Players is included in the definition used by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
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Appendix 4 - Athletes and teams funded through Sport Ireland’s International Carding Scheme 2016
NGB Applicant Category Award 2016 Total Athletics Ireland Robert Heffernan Podium €40,000 Athletics Ireland Fionnuala McCormack World Class €20,000 Athletics Ireland Ciaran O’Lionaird World Class €20,000 Athletics Ireland Mark English World Class €20,000 Athletics Ireland Paul Robinson World Class €20,000 Athletics Ireland Thomas Barr World Class €20,000 Athletics Ireland Mens 4x4 Relay World Class €20,000 Athletics Ireland Brian Gregan International €12,000 Athletics Ireland Brendan Boyce International €12,000 Athletics Ireland Alex Wright International €12,000 Athletics Ireland Ciara Everard International €12,000 Athletics Ireland Ciara Mageean International €12,000 €220,000 Badminton Ireland Chloe Magee World Class €20,000 Badminton Ireland Sam Magee World Class €20,000 Badminton Ireland Josh Magee World Class €20,000 Badminton Ireland Scott Evans International €12,000 €72,000 IABA Brendan Irvine Podium €40,000 IABA Katie Taylor Podium €40,000 IABA Joe Ward Podium €40,000 IABA Paddy Barnes Podium €40,000 IABA Michael O’Reilly Podium €40,000 IABA Michael Conlon Podium €40,000 IABA Steven Donnelly World Class €20,000 IABA Dean Walsh World Class €20,000 IABA Sean McComb World Class €20,000 IABA David Oliver Joyce World Class €20,000 IABA Dean Gardiner International €12,000 IABA Darren O’Neill International €12,000 IABA Adam Nolan International €12,000 IABA Ceire Smith International €12,000 €368,000 Irish Canoe Union Patrick O’Leary (para World Class €20,000 canoe) Irish Canoe Union Tom Brennan International €12,000 Irish Canoe Union Liam Jegou International €12,000
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NGB Applicant Category Award 2016 Total Irish Canoe Union Jenny Egan International €12,000 Irish Canoe Union Olympic Qualification €15,000 €71,000 Programme Funding Irish Clay Pigeon Derek Burnett International €12,000 €12,000 Shooting Association Cycling Ireland Eoghan Clifford (para Podium €40,000 cycling) Cycling Ireland Katie George Podium €40,000 Dunleavy (para cycling) Cycling Ireland Women’s Track World Class €74,000 Programme Cycling Ireland Colin Lynch (para World Class €20,000 cycling) Cycling Ireland Eoin Mullen World Class €20,000 Cycling Ireland Peter Ryan (para International €12,000 cycling) Cycling Ireland Felix English International €12,000 €218,000 Irish Judo Lisa Kearney World Class €20,000 €20,000 Association Paralympics Jason Smyth Podium €40,000 Athletics Ireland Paralympics Michael McKillop Podium €40,000 Athletics Ireland Paralympics Orla Barry Podium €40,000 Athletics Ireland Paralympics Niamh McCarthy Podium €40,000 Athletics Ireland Paralympics Deirdre Mongan Podium €40,000 Athletics Ireland Paralympics Noelle Lenihan Podium €40,000 Athletics Ireland Paralympics John McCarthy International €12,000 Athletics Ireland Paralympics Lorraine Regan International €12,000 Athletics Ireland Paralympics Ellen Keane Podium €40,000 Swimming Ireland Paralympics James Scully International €12,000 Swimming Ireland
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NGB Applicant Category Award 2016 Total Paralympics Nicole Turner International €12,000 Swimming Ireland Paralympics Ailbhe Kelly International €12,000 Swimming Ireland Paralympic Helen Kearney International €12,000 €352,000 Equestrian Pentathlon Ireland Arthur Lanigan- Podium €40,000 O’Keeffe Pentathlon Ireland Natalya Coyle World Class €20,000 €60,000 Rowing Ireland Sinead Lynch World Class €20,000 Rowing Ireland Claire Lambe World Class €20,000 Rowing Ireland Gary O’Donovan International €12,000 Rowing Ireland Paul O’Donovan International €12,000 Rowing Ireland Sanita Puspure International €12,000 Rowing Ireland Mark O’Donovan International €6,000 Rowing Ireland Shane O’Driscoll International €6,000 Rowing Ireland Denise Walsh International €6,000 Rowing Ireland €24,000 €118,000 Irish Sailing Annalise Murphy World Class €20,000 Association Irish Sailing Ryan Seaton World Class €20,000 Association Irish Sailing Matthew McGovern World Class €20,000 Association Irish Sailing James Espey International €12,000 Association Irish Sailing Andrea Brewster International €12,000 Association Irish Sailing Saskia Tidey International €12,000 Association Irish Sailing John Twomey International €12,000 Association Irish Sailing Ian Costelloe International €12,000 Association Irish Sailing Austin O’Carroll International €12,000 €132,000 Association Swim Ireland Fiona Doyle World Class €20,000 Swim Ireland Daniel Sweeney International €12,000 Swim Ireland Nicholas Quinn International €6,000 Swim Ireland Christopher Bryan International €6,000 Swim Ireland Shane Ryan International €6,000 Swim Ireland Diving Programme €15,000 €65,000
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NGB Applicant Category Award 2016 Total Para Table Tennis Rena McCarron World Class €20,000 €20,000 Rooney Triathlon Ireland Aileen Reid World Class €20,000 Triathlon Ireland Bryan Keane International €12,000 Triathlon Ireland Ben Shaw International €12,000 Triathlon Ireland Para Triathlon Rio €20,000 €64,000 Programme Overall Total 2016 €1.792m
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Appendix 5 - Allocations by the Sports Capital Programme 2014-2015 by sport
Sport Sum of Amount Allocated (Base) Gaelic Games* €32,114,921 Multi-Sport €20,575,676 Soccer €12,366,457 Rugby €5,985,606 Tennis €3,384,635 Boxing €2,126,380 Rowing €1,641,350 Sailing €1,493,412 Athletics €1,411,733 Swimming €1,319,552 Gymnastics €1,024,165 Hockey €840,044 Golf €540,601 Diving/Snorkelling €528,935 Canoeing/Kayaking €456,169 Cricket €445,195 Wheelchair Sport €341,998 Badminton €303,896 Pitch and Putt €278,097 Triathlon €269,735 Bowls €235,714 Equestrian Sports €230,100 Cycling €225,436 Basketball €211,096 Mountaineering €205,280 Special Olympics €189,905 Martial Arts €182,338 Community Games €127,000 Archery €124,339 Squash €120,000 Angling/Fishing €111,250 Weightlifting €84,806 Volleyball €62,000 Table Tennis €56,800 Shooting Sports €52,000 *Gaelic Games includes Gaelic football (men’s and ladies’), hurling, handball and camogie
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Sport Sum of Amount Allocated (Base) American Football €47,808 Orienteering €44,000 Motorcycling €43,101 Water-skiing & Wakeboarding €40,000 Billiards & Snooker €28,000 Wrestling €22,000 Motor Sport €20,000 Olympic Handball €20,000 Tug of War €17,252 Taekwondo €16,408 Clay Pigeon Shooting €14,000 Racquetball €12,000 Fencing €8,799 Surfing €7,000 Modern Pentathlon €5,391 Rock Climbing €4,050 Judo €4,000 Tenpin Bowling €3,000 Skateboarding €2,000 Total €90,025,430
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Appendix 6 - Usage figures for National Sports Campus Facilities
Facility Usage
National Aquatic Centre Visitor numbers rose from 565,085 in 2007 to 991,554 in 2015
National Horse Sport Arena 209 bookings/events in 2015
National Modern Pentathlon Centre In use 5 days a week, resulting in approximately 250 sessions per year
National Diving Training Centre Used by 275 members of the Diving Academy & Club and 350 members of the Gymnastics Academy weekly. Also used by the Irish Diving Squad for daily training throughout the year
High Performance Training Centre Almost 700 athletes supported in the High Performance Training Centre (January to September 2016) for training,
- strength and conditioning area testing and services including medicine, performance - mixed training zone analysis, physiology and strength and conditioning - rehab/medical area - 4-lane 130 metre track - dedicated boxing area FAI National Training Centre Over 330 events (September 2015 to August 2016), from Men’s and Women’s squads from all age categories including the Senior Teams, and the Irish Paralympic Team
GAA National Games Development Opened in April 2016 Centre
Multi-Sport Synthetic Pitch facility Public usage figures for the Multi-Sport Synthetic Pitch facility rose from 73,948 in 2014 to 93,236 in 2015
Two large multi-sport turf pitches The multi-sport turf pitches, opened in 2016, have been accommodating Gaelic games, football used by High Performance athletes including the Irish and rugby American Football Association and the Dublin Senior Football Team
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References
1 Indecon International Economic Consultants for the Irish Sports Council (2010) Assessment of Economic Impact of Sport in Ireland.
2 SportsEconAustria, Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University, Statistical Service Republic of Cyprus, Meerwaarde Sport en Economie, FESI and the Ministry of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Poland (2012) Study on the Contribution of Sport to Economic Growth and Employment in the EU. European Commission, Directorate-General Education and Culture. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/sport/library/documents/f-studies/study-contribution-spors-economic- growth-final-rpt.pdf on 10 November 2016.
3 Ipsos MRBI and Sport Ireland (2016) Irish Sports Monitor 2015 Annual Report.
4 Department of Health and Children and Health Service Executive (2009) The National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland.
5 Woods, C.B., Tannehill D., Quinlan, A., Moyna, N. and Walsh, J. (2010) The Children’s Sport Participation and Physical Activity Study (CSPPA) Research Report No 1. School of Health and Human Performance, Dublin City University and the Irish Sports Council, Dublin, Ireland.
6 Lunn P, Kelly E, Fitzpatrick N. (2013) Keeping Them in the Game: Taking Up and Dropping Out of Sport and Exercise in Ireland. ESRI.
7 Department of Health and Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (2016) Get Ireland Active – The National Physical Activity Plan
8 Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Corporate Governance Standard. Retrieved from http://www.per.gov.ie/en/corporate-governance-standard/ on 10 November 2016.
9 Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (2016) Corporate Governance Framework. Retrieved from http://www.dttas.ie/sites/default/files/publications/corporate/english/corporate-governance- framework/corporate-governance-framework-april-2016.pdf on 10 November 2016.
10 Department of Finance (2009) Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. Retrieved from http://per.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/CODE-OF-PRACTICE-FOR-THE-GOVERNANCE-OF-STATE- BODIES-2009.pdf on 10 November 2016.
11 Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (2012) Public Spending Code. Retrieved from http://publicspendingcode.per.gov.ie/ on 10 November 2016.
12 Ipsos MRBI and Irish Sports Council (2012) Irish Sports Monitor 2011 Annual Report
13 Ipsos MRBI and Irish Sports Council (2014) Irish Sports Monitor 2013 Annual Report
14 Department of Education (1996) Code of Practice for Safety at Sports Grounds. Retrieved from http://www.dttas.ie/sites/default/files/publications/sport/english/safety-sports-grounds/safety- sports-grounds.pdf on 10 November 2016.
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