Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Burke for raising this very important topic. He refers to the need for the Minister for Health to establish a task force with representatives from sports organisations, sports medicine bodies and primary and post primary schools in order to devise an appropriate education programme to improve awareness of sport-related concussion, its management and possible consequences among players, parents, coaches and medics. I am taking this debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar.

The issue of concussion wherever it occurs needs to be taken very seriously as it is a mild traumatic brain injury. It is important to also state that it is not just during sport that the dangers of concussion arise. While we have seen some very public examples of concussion at major sporting events recently, I do not think it would be helpful to focus just on sporting occasions. There is always a risk of injury, however small, in all aspects of normal day-to-day activities whether in school, while commuting, at home or in the workplace which can result in concussion. The management of concussion includes evaluation, removal from active participation, medical assessment of symptoms, physical and cognitive rest until the acute symptoms resolve followed by a gradual return to participation. This is the case wherever it occurs, not just in sport.

I would like to acknowledge the work of a number of sporting organisations which have been very proactive in raising awareness of the dangers of concussion and in developing guidance on concussion for participants, coaches, officials and others. However, in saying that, I also call on the sporting organisations to ensure that they are visibly implementing their own guidelines and doing whatever they can to ensure the health and safety of all of those participating in sport.

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things anybody can do for his or her health. While the benefits are well known, we must also ensure that we do not discourage anybody from participating in sport and physical activity, either directly or as a volunteer, because of fears about sustaining injury or concerns about how to respond when in a position of authority or responsibility.

As the Senator is aware from his participation in the recent Joint Committee on Health and Children hearings on the implications of concussion in sport, officials in the Departments of Health and Education and Skills recently started exploring the issue of concussion in school settings. The two Departments brought together a small group of relevant experts from key organisations to have an exploratory discussion about the implications of concussion and to identify current shortcomings in concussion awareness and responses. This is an opportunity to build on work already undertaken to develop a uniform approach to understanding and educating people about concussion and creating a better awareness about injury prevention, risk reduction as well as response and treatment for concussion. While this is a complex issue, initially officials in both Departments will continue to work together and with the group of experts from key organisations referred to earlier to progress the development and distribution of information materials to reiterate that the management of concussion includes evaluation, removal from active participation, medical assessment of symptoms, physical and cognitive rest until the acute symptoms resolve, followed by a gradual return to participation.

I believe that a singular process with the backing of all relevant stakeholders will be beneficial in encouraging everyone to understand the true importance and implications of concussion. In the deliberations on concussion, the need to explore further what more needs to be done to ensure that concussion is dealt with in a safe manner was recognised. This work will continue in partnership with the key stakeholders from the sporting organisations and the medical professions.