Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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764. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the details of the Council conclusions on dual careers for athletes during the Irish EU Presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36232/13]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The EU Council of Sport Ministers, which I chaired in Brussels on 17 May, adopted Council Conclusions on Dual Careers for athletes. 

The promotion of dual careers for elite athletes was one of the sport priorities of the Irish Presidency. To succeed at the highest level of a sport demands intensive training and competitions at home and abroad.  It can be difficult to combine this with education and work commitments. Retiring athletes can also face difficulties moving from a sports career to a new career. Special arrangements are needed to avoid the situation where talented and elite sports people are forced to choose between education and sport or work and sport. Given the growing importance of this matter, a set of Council conclusions on this issue were prepared for adoption by EU Sport Ministers.  In particular, the Council Conclusions:

 - Encourage co-operation between Member States, educational institutions and stakeholders and sports organisations;

- Promote exchange of good practices and experience on dual careers among Member States;

- Encourage establishment of flexible academic cycles and adapted learning pathways for athletes so that they can combine their sporting activities with education;

- Recognise that sport organisations should also develop and implement dual career services for talented or elite athletes: and

- Invite the European Commission, on the basis of the EU Guidelines on Dual Careers for Athletes, to explore appropriate follow-up on this important issue of Dual Careers, possibly in the framework of the second Work Plan for Sport.