Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this matter, which deserves attention within the Departments of Transport, Tourism and Sport and Health, for discussion. It relates to the proposed Lusk community 2020 sports plan. This is a community-based collaborative effort involving representatives of local sporting groups and the support of local primary and secondary schools in Lusk, north County Dublin, to put in place a long-term plan the objective of which is to improve the health of members of the local community. In essence, this is a local public health strategy focused on sport and physical activity that will benefit everyone in the town and its environs.

In coming together, local sports organisations, the community council and schools have worked to develop a strategy by which they can prioritise their needs and pool their resources to ensure the maximum impact and benefit in the community. The initiative is ambitious. The approach examines the demographics of the local community and carries out a sporting needs analysis or assessment. By taking demographics into account on a localised basis, the project allows for a focus to be placed upon increasing participation in sport and physical activity in line with population growth and the demographic characteristics of Lusk and its environs.

Fingal is the fastest-growing local community according to the past three censuses and has the youngest age demographic in the State. The approach outlined in the plan could have remarkable benefits for towns and villages throughout the country. It could allow for the identification and prioritisation of sporting infrastructure and investment to meet the needs of residents, while ensuring that resources are provided to allow all age groups to engage in sport and physical activity. In the case of Lusk, the sport needs analysis has allowed for the identification of priority sporting facilities required to serve the needs of the people in the town and surrounding communities. Once developed, these facilities will be available for other local sporting clubs and organisations as well.

The project has received a great deal of support from Fingal County Council. The local authority will be transferring land to Lusk 2020 for the development of a sports hub in the community. This will be an important advancement of the overall strategy. While it is positive to see the local authority supporting Lusk 2020, I believe there is also an opportunity for the Government to assist the local community in achieving the goals set out in the plan. I call on the Minister of State to review the documents relating to Lusk 2020. I would be more than happy to supply these to him. Furthermore, I call on the Minister of State to examine the investment opportunities which may be open to Lusk 2020 and how the Government can best assist those involved to realise their objective of promoting the uptake of sport and physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle for members of the local community of all ages. I imagine that, upon examination, the Minister of State will identify the innovative nature of Lusk 2020 and how it can provide a template upon which similar strategies could be developed for local communities throughout the State. The Lusk 2020 plan is a prime example of people in local communities putting the needs and the health of the entire community to the fore of the agenda.

I am pleased to support Lusk 2020 and I commend all those involved in bringing the project this far. Most importantly, I am keen to mention by name a former councillor, John Paul Browne, who recently resigned from Fingal County Council to pursue other ventures. In any event, his work on this project, along with that of dozens of other people in my constituency, was excellent. I hope the Minister of State will assess this project with a view to the potential collaboration or use of this programme as a template throughout the State.

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