The Irish sports council was established in 1999 to support and enhance the capabilities of Irelands existing sports structures. The council is Irelands first statutory dedicated exclusively to the development of sport in all its many forms.The council's mission is to "plan, lead and coordinate the sustainable development of competitive and recreational sport in Ireland"(Building sport for life, The Irish Sports Council Strategy 2006-2008)A mission statement is important because it helps people understand the purpose of an organisation and what it wants to accomplish.The aims of the Irish Sports Council are to increase participation through the removal of barriers, and to make better use of facilities.The Irish Sports Council Act 1999 set out its key functions* Encouraging the promotion, development and co-ordination of competitive sport.
* Facilitating good standards of conduct and fair play in both competitive and recreational sport.* Developing strategies for increasing participation in recreational sport.* Combating drugs in sport.* Encouraging research concerning competitive and recreational sport.The council has a clear overall vision of Ireland as a country where:* Everyone is welcomed to and valued in sport, irrespective of their ability and background.* Individuals can develop their sporting abilities, limited only by talent and commitment.
* Irish sportsmen and women are provided with the support to achieve consistent world class performance, fairly.The council has established 19 local sports partnerships in Ireland to promote participation in sport at a local level.The aims of the local sports partnerships are to increase participation in sport and to ensure that local resources are used to best effect. Some of the outcomes we seek are:* Club development* Volunteer training* Enhanced planning of sport at local level* Local directories of sports bodies ; facilities* School, club, community and national governing body (NGB) links.* Increased levels of local participation, especially amongst specific target groups such as older people, girls ; women, people with disabilities, unemployed people, and those who live in identified disadvantaged communities.Locally, the strategy of the Irish sports council is based on developing partnerships with local and national agencies.
The council can affect greater advances in Irish sport by working with local sporting bodies that know their needs. An important feature of providing information services and in working in partnerships with local agencies is that local needs can be met locally."Irish sport requires co-ordination and leaderships to move forward with strength. This can only be achieved through the development of a strong partnership between Irish sports organisations, government departments, and national and local agencies"The council identified a need to build strong links with local agencies. The four existing bodies identified by the council are:1. The Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism: responsible for all capital grants to sports facilities.
2. National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs): one of the priority tasks of the council is the development and strengthening of the NGBs which can contribute to the achievement of the council's mission.3. The National Coaching and Training Centre: established in 1992 to assist in raising the standards of coaching and training of coaches.
This centre provides specialised training for elite sportsmen and women through a structured coaching system, a comprehensive sports science programme and optimal training facilities.4. Other State and National Bodies: this includes a number of national agencies like the Olympic Council of Ireland, the Paralympic Council of Ireland, Campus and Stadium Ireland, Bord Failte and the third level colleges of Ireland. Some programmes are nationally driven but delivered locally.
One example is the health promotion schemes and the physical education curriculum set by the Department of Education and Science."The Irish Sports Council aims to ensure Ireland's performances in elite international sport improve and to create consistent success at elite level defined as producing Irish athletes in the finals at European, World, Olympic and Paralympic level."High performance initiatives developed to support this objective include:* Irish Institute of Sport* High Performance Funding / Performance Planning* International Carding Scheme* Performance Incentive Payments* Olympic Council of Ireland & Paralympic Council of Ireland* Team Ireland Golf Trust.http://www.
irishsportscouncil.ie/High_Performance/Scientific research has concluded that it takes eight to twelve years of training for athletes like Sonia O'Sullivan to reach elite levels. This is called the ten-year or 10,000 hour rule. For athletes, coaches and parents this translates as slightly more than three hours of practise daily for ten years.
To support this standard the Irish sports council has a significant task ahead.Sonia O'Sullivan is supported by the Irish Sports council International Carding Scheme for elite athletes.Already the council has made significant in- roads. Through the Local Sports Partnerships participation in sport particularly among women and children is increasing. This should over the coming years allow individuals develop their sporting abilities from grass roots beginnings to world-class performances.
Already the Irish Sports Council has made significant in-roads. Through the local sports partnerships participation in sport particularly among women and children is increasing. This should over the coming years allow individuals develop their sporting abilities from grass roots beginnings to world-class performances.http://business2000.
ie/pdf/pdf_6/irish_sports_council_6th_ed.pdfSport at the top level is about Irelands most talented sportspeople reaching their potential fairly and being competitive at the top of international sport. There is a shared aspiration that Ireland should be able to compete successfully and enjoy some measure of international success. As a small country we must have reasonable expectation of what can be achieved but it remains the essence of sport that we aspire to compete at the highest levels.There job is to ensure that every person has the opportunity to enjoy the simple pleasures of playing, participating and competing in the sport of their choice, and at a level appropriate to their ability.The Irish Sports Council has made enormous progress over the past number of years.
As the resources within sport grow, the awareness of the benefits of sport increases and the opportunities for development present themselves.http://www.mountaineering.ie/aboutthemci/tier1viewdetials.
asp?ID=8&Tier1ID=19Women in sportMr. John O'Donoghue T.D., Minister for Arts, Sport, and Tourism officially launched the Irish Sports Council's �750,000 Women in Sport Initiative, at an event in the National Boxing Stadium on October 13th 2005. The Initiative is aimed at promoting increased participation of women of all ages in sport.John said "We in the Government recognise how important it is to increase the number of women participating in sport and we are committed through this Initiative to doing that.
We want women of all ages to become involved in these projects and develop a lifelong relationship with sport."Over half a million euro has been directed into fourteen innovative projects devised by various governing bodies, that are aimed at bringing women and young girls into sport or to retain and re-engage former participants. A further �131,000 has also been allocated across all sixteen local sports partnerships for similar locally based projects, aimed at specific target groups.Irish Sports Council Chair, Ossie Kilkenny stated: "This Initiative is aimed at encouraging women; young and old alike into sport as participants, players, officials and administrators. It is recognized that we need to attract more women into all levels of sport and these programmes announced today provide the necessary opportunities for Irish girls and women to access sport in their communities."Speaking at the launch, ISC Chief Executive John Treacy said: "Attracting more women into sport is a key element of our participation strategy, which is all about breaking down barriers and increasing participation in sport, this is a priority for the Irish Sports Council.
These projects, and the development of a dedicated website for women in sport, are the means by which many women can rekindle their relationship with sport, or be introduced to it and experience its life enhancing power."http://www.womeninsport.ie/aboutus/about_background.aspxA Commission on Physical Education should be established to ensure that physical education programmes are implemented in both primary and secondary schools. The Commission should ensure that obstacles which discourage girls participating in physical education in our schools are removed.
The Commission should include officials from the Departments of Education and Science, Health and Children, Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Physical Education Association of Ireland, the teachers' unions, and the Irish Sports Council.Local Sports Partnerships should be established in every county in Ireland. Each partnership should have an official dedicated to the promotion of girls' and womens' involvement in sport.One person should have responsibility for women's issues within every sporting organization.
That person should have sufficient status to influence decisions and policy-making.The Sports Council of Ireland should have;- a dedicated Executive, dealing with all aspects of women in sport, including the gender-proofing of all Sports' Council decisions and capital grant allocations made by the Government from the proceeds of the National Lottery.- A national Forum on Girls and Women in Sport should be established, under the aegis of the Irish Sports Council, to meet at least twice annually, that would discuss and make recommendations on all issues that affect the participation of girls and women in sport.A Women's Sports Foundation should be established that would be solely committed to improving and promoting opportunities for women and girls in sport, at every level. Private contributions to this Women's Sports Foundation should be tax deductible and used to support and promote initiatives for both girls and women nationally.Anti- DopingUnder the Irish Sports Council Act 1999 the Irish Sports Council was given the task of combating doping in sport.
Immediately the Council established the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Programme, which was launched in the Autumn of 1999. It comprises three main elements; testing, education and research. The Council is proud to have put in place a Programme that is recognised nationally and internationally as of the highest quality. It makes a contribution to the development of Irish sport through guarding the ethical standards of sport and ensuring that competitors, mentors and spectators are involved with drug free sport. Anti-Doping is the fight against doping in sport in all its forms.
The Irish Sports Council recognizes that the fight against doping in sport requires an international and multi-agency approach. It works with WADA (World Anti-Doping Association) to ensure all athletes benefit from the same anti-doping procedures and protections, no matter the sport, the nationality, or the country where tested, so that all athletes may participate in competition that is both safe and fair.Dr Brendan Buckley, Chairman of the Anti-Doping Committee commented: "The fight against doping in sport requires constant vigilance. It is necessary to review our rules and procedures on an ongoing basis to ensure that they are fair and adequate to deal with current challenges. We appreciate that this is a burden for all sports agencies and for athletes. However they appreciate that it is essential and to ensure fairness for everyone involved in sport.
"John Treacy, CEO of the Irish Sports Council said: "The problems of doping in sport will always be with us. We have made huge progress in recent year and WADA have done outstanding work in harmonising international procedures. The new Rules is a further advance and contains many modifications which will be welcomed in sport. Our Anti-Doing Unit is recognised as one of the best in the world and my colleagues have taken on a major challenge in revising and introducing new Rules".The current WADA Code, which went into formal effect on 1 January 2004, underwent a thorough review and consultation with a particular emphasis on its practical application.
WADA published a revised World Anti-Doping Code in the Autumn of 2007. This Code (along with a number of revised WADA International Standards) formed the basis for the revised version of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules 2009.
