SPORT MATTERS UPDATE

The Irish Sport Matters Campaign got off to a positive start with the press launch on October 21^st receiving coverage on many radio and television news bulletins including the RTE 6.01 and 9 o’clock news as well as the TV3 news.

 

The conference was also covered the following day in the national media with articles appearing in the Irish Times, the Irish Examiner, the Irish Star, the Irish Sun and the Daily Mail. A report on the press coverage received in the aftermath of the launch can be downloaded at: http://www.irishsports.ie/Resources/index.jsp?c=1&id=24

 

We also issued a press release to the regional and local media and continue to receive positive coverage with features in papers such as the Roscommon People, the Offaly Topic, the Laois Nationalist and the Leinster Express to name but a few.

 

The submission document “Why Irish Sport Matters” – a copy of which can be downloaded at www.irishsportmatters.com - has been forwarded to all T.D.s and Senators with a county factsheet detailing some of the success stories facilitated by government funding in the constituency they represent being included in the pack to T.D.s.

 

We asked also asked the Federation members to write to each of the T.D’s in support of the campaign. As of November 18^th, 39 national sporting organisations have confirmed that they have written to all T.D.s. Most sport have also put up information in respect of the campaign on their website and set up a link to www.irishsportmatters.com

 

We have also sent copies of the submission to all national sports editors in the print and broadcast media as well as to those from the business community involved in the sponsorship of sport.

 

On Wednesday 4^th November a multi-sport delegation appeared before the Oireachtas Committee with responsibility for sport. The first time such a delegation had made an appearance before the Committee. This was noted by the Committee Chairman, Tom Kitt T.D. and indeed, most members present complimented the evident “teamwork”.

 

The response from the Committee was positive with the members undertaking to write to the Taoiseach as well as the Ministers for Arts, Sport & Tourism, Finance, Health, Education and Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs in respect of the campaign. A transcript of the appearance before the Committee can be downnloaded at: http://www.irishsports.ie/Resources/index.jsp?c=1&id=24

There were displays and announcements on the big screen at Croke Park on both Saturday and Sunday 14th & 15th November as well as full page ad in the programmes at both the France soccer international and the rugby international against Australia.

 

Synopsized versions of the submission were available in the corporate boxes at the weekend’s internationals and on the sports journalists’ desks. We hope to secure some additional coverage at the forthcoming Ireland v South Africa rugby international and are grateful to the FAI and the IRFU for the steps taken to facilitate these actions.

 

The Facebook and Twitter programme continues to grow at pace with over 600 fans now following the campaign at www.facebook.com/whyirishsportmatters We would ask you to sign up to the page if you haven’t already done so and to encourage your friends with an interest in sport to do the same.

 

The next principal event is an open evening for Oireachtas Members scheduled for Wednesday 25^th November at which, we hope to have a number of athletes present in addition to some sporting administrators. This evening will enable us to speak directly to all the politicians about the importance of continued government support for Irish Sport and in particular, the need to maintain the funding levels to the Irish Sports Council.

 

The vast majority of these funds go to the development of sport at grass roots level throughout the country – the type of programmes detailed in our Why Irish Sport Matters Submission. Irish sport has made significant progress in the last ten years – government funding is not a tap that can be turned off and turned on once again when times improve without serious damage being done to the delivery and accessibility of sport. Sport delivers on multiple fronts for Ireland – help us ensure that sport is a tool for our recovery as a nation and not a victim of it.