Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 9 October 2014

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children

Concussion in Sport: Discussion (Resumed)

10:30 am

Photo of Colm BurkeColm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Some of the issues that I wanted to raise have been covered, so I will be brief. One of the very precise recommendations from the GAA concerns setting up a task force. Has the GAA been in correspondence with the relevant Departments on that matter, and has it received a response? If a task force involving all the sports organisations is set up, which Department would be most appropriate for it to come under? This area covers the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Health and a number of others. There is no point in it being answerable to a number of different Departments because that will not work. The GAA's recommendations are very well and very precisely set out. Mr. Ryan referred to the public health campaigns in Canada and the United States. If we were to do a public health campaign in Ireland, which one should be prioritised and fast-tracked that would be effective and would be of benefit for everyone involved in sport?

My last question concerns rural areas in particular. It is not physically possible for every sports club to have a medic available immediately. Where an event takes place 30 to 50 miles from the nearest hospital, is there any procedure in place to ensure that it is known where the nearest available medic is and who is on call before the start of the match? Many GPs are not on call at weekends. One is dependent on the call-out service from hospitals. Is there any procedure available for clubs to see where the nearest person who can be summoned to give assistance is, should something serious happen?

While all the clubs have people with training and expertise, sometimes additional assistance is required. Is there a procedure for it?

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