July 25, 2018
Swim Ireland were delighted to attend the announcement this morning of the new National Sports Policy 2018-2027.
Recognising the influence and importance of sport across Irish society, the National Sports Policy sets out the Irish Government's Vision for Irish Sport in 2027 and defines the actions they will undertake to achieve the ambitious goals.
We are very pleased to see acknowledgment within the Plan of the importance of swimming and its potential to deliver return on investment in terms of the future health and well being of our society. Swimming, along with Cycling and Running is recognised as a ‘Prioritised Participation Sport’ in the Policy, signalling a huge step forward for the sport in Ireland. We look forward to delivering specific programmes and projects to support our own Swim Ireland Participation Strategy under the policy over the next ten years.
Swim Ireland would like to thank Minister Ross, Minister Griffin and all in the Department of Sport and Sport Ireland for their work in delivering this fantastic policy which will make Ireland a healthier and happier country!
Here are the key points in relation to swimming in the new policy:
Action 5 – Prioritised Participation Sports
We will prioritise sports like swimming, cycling and running which we believe have the greatest potential for generating higher levels of active participation across the life course, seeking to ensure that our children have the necessary skills to engage in these activities in a meaningful way while also investing in the development of infrastructure, programmes and people to help sustain participation throughout adolescence and adulthood.
Action 20 - Potential Swimming Pool Projects and a National Swimming Strategy
We will work closely with relevant Government Departments, Local Authorities, sporting bodies and other stakeholders to agree a coherent national strategy for swimming. As part of this, we will review swimming pool provision to identify where gaps exist and how these can be met.
Action 50 – Funding High-Performance Programmes
Government funding for high performance will be increased (by 2027) to match the investment made in comparator nations. Sustained funding will be committed for each Olympic cycle.
There are many other areas or the policy in which Swim Ireland will deliver including working with Local Authorities, Local Sports Partnerships and other National Governing Bodies. Supporting the delivery of the new Leaving Certificate PE Programme, working with younger people and primary schools as well as adults and other groups.
You can read the National Sports Policy in full HERE.
