Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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2. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has considered the introduction of a leisure card for children and young people that would allow for State funding to be given directly to families for the purposes of paying for sport and or cultural activities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47809/22]

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Has the Minister of State given any consideration to the introduction of a leisure card for children and young people which would allow for State funding to be given directly to families for the purpose of paying for sport and-or for cultural activities and will he make a statement on the matter?

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist seo. Although a developed and costed proposal has not been presented by the sector to my Department, the cost of introducing a leisure card as outlined by the Deputy could potentially involve a very significant level of Exchequer support. On the basis of a national scheme with coverage extending to all children and young adults in Ireland under the age of 25, currently totalling some 1,500,000 people, with a weekly subvention of just €10 per week or over €500 per annum, the total cost would be in the region of €750 million.

As the Deputy is aware, under the National Sports Policy 2018–2027 introduced in 2018 there is a target to double the level of State investment in sport from €111 million in 2017 to €220 million by the end of this policy.

As a result of the Government's strong commitment to the development of sport in recent years, we are well on track to achieve our investment targets. In budget 2023, a total allocation of €174.8 million has been made for sport, which will allow for increased availability of sporting opportunities next year for all ages, young and old alike. Additional resources have been allocated to Sport Ireland, the agency responsible for the development of sport in Ireland, which will permit improved budgetary resourcing of the governing bodies and local sports partnerships that deliver so much to families and children across the country.

In the area of the cultural activities provided by the State, visits to the national cultural institutions are free of charge to all, including children and young people. The institutions also continue to develop and expand on their learning and engagement activities for children and young people. Under the all-of-government Creative Ireland programme led by my Department, access is provided to children and young people to engage in free creative activities through its Creative Youth and Creative Communities pillars. For example, the flagship Cruinniú na nÓg provides free creative activities for children and young people nationwide in June every year.

Although the introduction of a national leisure card is not currently considered a feasible or realistic proposition in the circumstances outlined, either from the Exchequer perspective or due to the considerable complexities that would inevitably arise from the administration standpoint, it would be inappropriate to completely rule out its introduction in all circumstances. Future circumstances may allow for the adoption of such an approach, perhaps modified for particular sports, age ranges or population cohorts, and I would be open to considering specific proposals in that regard.

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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According to research published by the Federation of Irish Sport, for every €100 invested in sport by the Government, the Exchequer receives up to €195 back through taxes on sports-supported expenditure and incomes. We also know that half of the money invested by the State in the arts later comes back to the Exchequer. This proposal is based on the Icelandic experience of a leisure card. We propose a three-year pilot scheme where every child in junior and senior infants would get €130 worth of credit to use on extracurricular sporting and-or cultural activities as they choose. We then expand the scheme over the remaining primary school classes on a phased basis and, over a five-year period, the scheme would be rolled out to all children in primary and secondary school.

As I said, a similar scheme was introduced in Iceland in 2007 as a response to the crisis among its youth around alcohol, tobacco, drug use, mental health issues and social isolation. The changes in the experiences of children have been transformative. As a long-term measure, the benefits far outweigh the initial costs and, as I said, the research shows that those costs can be recouped by the State.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I agree that investment in sport, physical activity and cultural opportunities yields huge benefits for young people. That is why we put significant investment into all aspects of this Department for 2023, in particular given that one of the major challenges facing sports clubs and grassroots organisations is around energy costs in the coming months, so they can maintain their level of activity to promote participation. That is why we have secured an overall €60 million fund for community, arts, Gaeltacht and sporting organisations, with €35 million directly for sport so we can mitigate some of the cost increases and support the membership and continued volunteerism that is central.

As I said, the cost of this proposal would be around €750 million across all age cohorts. It is not something we are immediately able to do but it is not something we would rule out into the future. Any initiative to promote sport, physical activity and cultural opportunity is something we can have a discussion on.

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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This leisure card could be used for sport, dance, music, art or some other enriching pursuit. The voucher would be used via a designated website that lists providers who are trained and approved for youth development. That would ensure not only quality control and mentoring through what is being offered, but also that the money circulates in the local community, boosting the after-school sector. It has been transformative in Iceland and, as I said, the research shows that the money invested would come back. As we know, given the current cost of living crisis, there are many families and working parents who, with childcare costs, mortgages and so on, cannot afford to pay for extracurricular classes. There are also many families who just cannot afford it full stop. In the long term, the benefits far outweigh the costs involved. If every child had access to that voucher, they would be engaging in extracurricular activities and would find their forte. The benefits of that speak for themselves.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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It appears to be working well in Iceland, where there is a subsidy system for leisure activities from age six to 18. There is a similar model in France, which has a culture pass that gives all under 18-year-olds €300 to spend on art, music, theatre and other cultural activities. I believe Australia has an active kids programme which provides $100 vouchers towards sport and active recreation costs each year.

We need to look at all policy initiatives or ideas around how we promote participation opportunities and activity in the culture and sports area. As I said, we have seen a step-change in investment in sport this year, with cost of living being a big dimension of it. Similarly, the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, has secured ongoing funding for the arts and the cultural area. The cost of this in any one year would be €750 million, so it is important in the budgetary process to consider that and weigh up the choices around continued investment in existing schemes and initiatives and policy ideas like this.