Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yes. It is not true that it is five years since we last won an all-Ireland; it is actually only three days but I thank the Deputy kindly anyway.

I welcome the Bill on a couple of fronts and I am delighted the Minister of State is present. I also wish to make a couple of recommendations because I am glad to see there is a united front in respect of sport, which plays an important role in society. It also brings a multifaceted approach to what it can bring to health and education and what it can build for rural communities. In the week that is in it and being a Kerryman, one need only look at what probably is the best amateur sporting organisation and the best county within an amateur sporting organisation. I am sure the Minister of State is delighted to see a Kerry team doing it again.

On a serious note, one should consider schools and the role they have to play. A statistic was released recently that on average, toddlers are consuming 16 kg of junk food per annum, which is the equivalent of just under 1 lb. of sweets and confectionery per week. Ireland has an obesity problem and there are two ways of tackling it, namely, through healthy eating and through the activity of sport. I for one believe that sport is not just about participation and winning but is also about healthy living and providing the fundamentals to children. One has the ability within schools in particular to instil a lifestyle around sports, whether it is running, ball sports or anything to do with cardiovascular or hand-eye co-ordination and so on. Unfortunately, one now finds far too often that when kids say they play sports, they actually mean they play sport on a PlayStation or some other electronic device and this is at epidemic proportions at present. The Government is trying to tackle this issue through a multidepartmental approach. For example, on the health side, the Departments of Health and Social Protection are providing the schools meals programme in which each child within a school gets to go on the Internet the night before to pick his or her meal, be it pasta or a healthy sandwich, and the cost per student is currently approximately €1.27.

I will ask the Minister of State to consider something in respect of sport. Disability and participation in sport is increasing all the time. I am trying to promote Tralee as a destination for people with disabilities and as the most disability-friendly town in the country. People there are examining a couple of projects at present, one being the Liam's Lodge project for people who are suffering from illnesses and who need to be protected and looked after. Doctors can come there to train and participate, while the patients can participate in activities in the town and in sporting activities. I am a major fan of the Scandinavian model in most respects and I note they maintain an enormous involvement of people with disabilities in sports, whether through wheelchair participation or through swimming-pool activities. This is to be promoted and developed.

It is good that the issue of fine-tuned athletes and the development thereof is also under consideration because we have had sports authorities paddling their own canoes for too long. The nation as a whole takes great pride when its soccer or rugby teams or its athletes or golfers - given the week that is in it - get to the highest levels in sport. The fundamentals of all key sports revolve around strength, power and endurance and these can be developed through schooling and through clubs. I welcome the capacity of the Minister of State to give out sporting capital grants. I also welcome that the weighting system provides that participation and inclusion between clubs and schools, which leads to more people using the facilities, will lead to more preferential treatment.

The community side of what is being developed is extremely important. As an anecdotal piece of information, the gathering in Tralee on Monday night, when the victorious Kerry senior and minor teams came home, was the biggest to have been seen for donkeys' years. This was not because the teams had won a double for the first time since 1980 but because there are more communities involved as there were people from parishes all over the place. These clubs are on a voluntary capacity but I suggest giving them expertise. The current Australian model is to have a centre of excellence for all things sporting. Thereafter, the information is filtered out into rugby, cricket, golf and everything else but there is a single centre of excellence for the core necessities of sporting participation. I would like this to be done in Ireland as well. I also note the Minister of State has the capacity to do something in respect of doping and drug testing. I hope he might take a little time to talk to the greyhounds and horses while he is at it, as Members know the athletes, for the most part, are under wraps.

In the few minutes remaining to me, I will return to the health front. The Minister of State has spoken of efforts to develop greater participation in more activities. From time spent in Scandinavia, I recall that all children going to school were monitored as to the length of time it took them to cycle, run and walk a distance. It is not that one is trying to develop an Aryan race or anything ridiculous like that but one is telling the children that health matters. It is not just about the fundamentals of education but one is also giving people the capacity to give themselves an advantage in later life. I have made a recommendation to the Department of Education and Skills, as well as to both the previous and new Ministers. The new junior cycle programme will have five elective subjects and I seek the inclusion of physical education as one of them.

An important aspect of that educational effort should be raising awareness regarding health and well-being, so that when people have physical or mental health issues, they will know where to get help. Serotonin is the hormone we are all seeking out, and sport is the great driver of it. It is about promoting a better lifestyle. We have had a good summer this year and one could see many people enjoying being on a health buzz. That is clear, too, from the massive take-up of the cycle to work scheme. I urge the Minister of State and his colleagues to ensure that scheme, which is one of the best legacies of the Green Party's time in government, is retained. Participation in free activities, such as running, swimming, cycling and football is on the rise. Such activities are open to everybody and can encourage inclusiveness by bringing together people from all spectrums of society.

I welcome the Bill, but funding is a key issue. The provision of a centre of excellence would help to make information available to everybody, to the betterment of our society. When one thinks of great and memorable summers past in this country, sporting events play a massive role in that remembrance. For Kerry people, the summer of 2014 will be remembered for the replay against Mayo and, although it is difficult to know what words to use to describe last Sunday's game against Donegal, another all-Ireland championship victory. The Irish soccer team, meanwhile, looks like it has the potential to qualify for the European Championship in 2016. With the improvement in the economy, it would be good to see more funding and resources, particularly in the regions where there is a greater level of disadvantage. I hope we will see enhanced sporting success on the back of the measures in this Bill.

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