Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Lombard agus na Seanadóirí uilig as ucht an deis seo a thabhairt dom labhairt le Seanadóirí faoin straitéis snámha náisiúnta.

As was said, swimming is our second most popular participation sport and has the potential to be truly inclusive for all in society. It engages the young and old alike, allows for full participation, including those with physical, mental or sensory considerations, and provides options for diverse communities and minority groups to participate. The National Sports Policy 2018-2027 and the Sports Action Plan 2021-2023 commit to the development of a national swimming strategy. Swimming is also prioritised in the current programme for Government in recognition of its role.

A working group was established in 2022 and tasked with establishing and developing the first national swimming strategy. It included representatives from the relevant national governing bodies and organisations. Extensive stakeholder and public engagement has allowed for a wide range of viewpoints in shaping the strategy. More than 5,800 submissions were received during the public consultation process, which is testament to the popularity of the sport and the critical role it can play in our physical health and mental well-being. Work on the strategy was recently completed. I am pleased to inform the House that the new strategy was approved by the Government yesterday. I intend to publish it in the coming weeks.

The strategy sets out a vision to provide everyone in the country with an opportunity to swim. It covers both indoor and outdoor swimming and takes account of all ages and abilities. It includes an action plan containing more than 50 actions across five thematic strands. People with disabilities and those who are marginalised or disadvantaged face barriers to participating in swimming. The strategy seeks to identify and address those barriers and encourage more inclusion and diversity, thus increasing levels of participation among those cohorts. Actions in the strategy include developing resources to help stakeholders to improve the culture of inclusion and increasing access for people with disabilities.

With regard to infrastructure and facilities, the public consultation suggests that existing swimming pool stock is insufficient and an analysis of current provision is proposed to identify gaps. The traditional single-purpose facilities model needs to be reviewed and reimagined to incorporate modern innovations such as above-ground and pop-up pools, as well as shared multipurpose facilities. Energy conservation, in addition to environmental and climate action considerations, will be central to future facilities development.

Evidence suggests that early childhood is the best time to learn how to swim, which in turn can increase the levels of lifelong participation. The strategy, therefore, tries to support additional opportunities for young people to access lessons; ensure best use of pool times for lessons and coaching; address challenges in recruiting and retaining swimming instructors; and further embed the provision of aquatics and water safety as components of school curriculums.

Outdoor or open water swimming has experienced a surge in popularity over the past number of years. Safety was a key concern raised by open water swimmers in the public consultation process, therefore, enhancing the dissemination of information to facilitate informed choices as to when and where people swim is key to encouraging greater participation. Other actions in the strategy in respect of open water swimming include the development of suitable facilities for changing and showering, enabling equal access, improved waste and recycling facilities, and a stakeholder forum.

The life journey for swimming will differ between participants who swim for recreation and those who follow a more competitive path. Aquatic clubs have a critical role to play in ensuring continued participation and providing a pathway that allows for the nurturing and development of potential high performers. Actions in the strategy include supports to grow participation throughout the life cycle, grow club membership numbers, develop vibrant competition structures, and strengthen relationships between facility owners and operators and swimming clubs.

The strategy will identify and develop targets and outputs that will help measure the successful delivery or otherwise of the tasks involved in the action plan and will inform future iterations and developments around swimming. The strategy is intended to be a live document that will respond to challenges and opportunities as they present over the life cycle of its duration. I thank the members of the working group tasked with the strategy’s development. The result is a truly collaborative strategic vision that will strengthen and support the sustainable growth and development of swimming in Ireland in future years.