Sinn Féin spokesperson on Sport, Chris Andrews TD, and spokesperson on Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts, Culture, Tourism and Media, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD have today launched their proposal for an Activity Card to support children’s participation in sport and culture.
The €127 million proposal would see every child between the ages of 4 and 18 receive a card worth €130 which they could spend on extracurricular sports or arts activities, based on the successful Planet Youth primary prevention model first developed in Iceland in 2007.
Teachta Andrews added:
“Our policy acknowledges the real benefits of investing in sports and cultural participation from a young age, in terms of community development, social cohesion and educational results, as well as health and wellbeing.
“We save money in our health service when we support young people to stay active, helping to tackle obesity, depression, and substance abuse.
“The evidence from Iceland is striking, where their Recreation Card is credited with increasing youth participation and drastically reducing the number of teenagers engaged in anti-social activity, including alcohol, tobacco and drug use, which used to be among the highest in Europe.
“Not only have we so much to benefit from by investing in the future health and social wellbeing of Irish society, but it also makes plain economic sense.
“Sports and the arts are responsible for tens of thousands of jobs, not to mention the value to our economy of the associated consumer spending and volunteering.
“We know that for every €100 invested in sport by the government, the Exchequer receives up to €195 back through taxes on sports-supported expenditures and incomes, and we have known for almost two decades that half of the money invested by the State in arts funding later comes back to the Exchequer in taxation.
“Despite us knowing this, the 26 Counties has the worst ratio of GDP devoted to recreation and sporting services of all EU and EFTA member states, at only 0.1%, compared to an EU average of 0.4%.
“Ireland needs a government prepared to adopt evidence-based policies based on international best practice, and this Activity Card proposal is one way to do just that
“A Sinn Féin led government would ensure that no child and no community is left behind.”
Teachta Ó Snodaigh said:
“The success of Team Ireland athletes at the Olympics reminds us of both the power of sport to unite and uplift communities, and the importance of investing in our young people to foster ambition, determination, and perseverance.
“The First Dáil was ahead of its time when it said providing for the ‘physical, mental and spiritual well-being’ of our children was the first duty of government, and yet still today too many children remain locked out of arts and sports because of the cost, they are unable to pursue their dreams.
“We know from research by the ESRI and Barnardos that up to 20% of children drop out of individual activities due to the financial cost of the sport, and parents are struggling to cover subscription fees and the cost of kits and equipment.
“Only half of those involved in structured cultural activities outside school at age 9 remain involved by the time they reach 13.
“Sinn Féin believes in showing ambition for our young people, addressing this inequality of access, and easing the burden for parents and families who are struggling with the cost of living.
“Today we set out our Olympic-sized vision, a €127 million investment for sport and culture, which would unleash the untapped potential of the next generation. Our athletes have gone above and beyond in their performance, and it’s time we politicians learnt from their example.”
ENDS
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