Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputies Richmond and Feighan. As the Minister and Minister of State will be aware, the fundraising efforts of sporting clubs and organisations around the country have been decimated as a result of Covid-19. Many clubs in Mayo and throughout the country have cancelled their flagship annual fundraisers over the past three months and into the future, which will undoubtedly place significant strain on their finances. We are all aware of the importance of sport in our communities. In many cases, the local club is the beating heart of the community. In times of crisis such as this our language as parliamentarians is important to generate hope for the future. I wish to focus on the positives of recovery and growth, so I am hoping the Minister will provide clarity on the sports capital programme for 2020. This will be the financial lifeline, more so than in any previous year, for sporting clubs and associations to grow and expand. It is important for the clubs to be more active than ever post Covid-19 as they are the link that binds communities together.

Last week, I raised with the Minister for Health the importance of flattening the mental health curve as the next Covid-19 challenge, and sport has a critical role to play. Many people have taken up individual physical activity and we have witnessed a dramatic increase in cycling over the past three months. Any legislation will be a matter for the next Government but I wish to raise the need to make the use of cycle helmets mandatory in Ireland. Only a handful of countries around the world have enacted legislation making cycle helmets mandatory. Australia was the first country to introduce legislation, followed by New Zealand and Argentina.

I want to add Ireland to this list. We have excellent off-road cycling facilities in Mayo such as the Great Western Greenway connecting Westport, Newport, Mulranny and Achill, as well as the Monasteries of the Moy Greenway linking Ballina and Killala, and the Castlebar Greenway linking Raheens Woods trail and the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life in Turlough. However, not every county has the benefit of off-road cycle paths.

Due to the recent Covid restrictions, more people have taken to cycling. I have been contacted by local bicycle shop owners highlighting the need to promote the wearing of cycle helmets and making it a mandatory legal requirement to do so. We have spoken much in recent months of effective public health policy. We also need to expand the conversation to include cycle helmets to reduce acquired head injuries.

While not for discussion today, a similar argument can be made for introducing a mandatory need for helmets when using electric scooters. Will the Minister give serious consideration to this topic and raise it with his Department, as I will be raising this important topic again as soon as the new Government is formed?

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