Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair for facilitating me in this meeting. I welcome the Minister, the Minister of State and the Secretary General, Ms Licken, whom have I have not seen in a long time. I always knew she would hit the top. Well done.

I will first address the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers. The social return on investment in sport infrastructure was alluded to briefly by Senator Cassells. The UEFA and FIFA model has been rolled out across the world. We had our own national launch, in which the Minister of State may have been involved, with Packie Bonner. It is great to him see back as a non-executive director of the Football Association of Ireland. Aside from the sports capital programme and the various other support mechanisms we have, is this a model the Minister of State is going to embrace? Will he start perhaps with the main pillar banks by asking them to partner on this model? In case anyone present is not familiar with it, the model basically involves setting tangible achievables from a health perspective, for example, reducing diabetes or obesity, and there are metrics to measure their success.

It could also be related to increasing literacy rates, the number of young people in education, training or employment or the reduction in the number unemployed. It has been proven to work throughout the world. Some €56 million has been collected internationally to date in the 40 countries participating in the initiative in Europe and there are approximately 140 participants in it. The initiative is working to bring down those numbers. Basically, the Government would go to the bank - let us say the Bank of Ireland for the sake of argument - and advise that Sligo Rovers has a development, with which I know the Minister and the Minister of State are familiar, which would cost €16 million. It seeks to come up with €10 million of that cost from a particular source and the Government would advise the bank it would like it to lend the club €10 million and in five years’ time provided the club has met its plan, which tangibly is to have reduced obesity levels, reduced incidence of heart disease or other various measurable outcomes from a social perspective, the Government would pay the bank back that money. That is an infinitely cheaper way to tackle those health and social-related problems that might face a regional capital like Sligo or any town around the country. To touch on something Senator Cassells said, it could result in a large sporting facility being delivered which caters for multiple sports. As the Minister and Minister of State know, that plan incorporates rugby and hockey and would be a community facility. Will the Minister of State bring in the banks and drag them around the table? We all know about their systemic nature. They are great people when they are looking for you but now we are looking for them. Will they divvy up? Can the Minister of State get them to partner on this initiative?