Sinn Féin proposes Iceland-style activity card for youth to spend on sports

Sinn Féin has proposed giving children an activity card, which they say will encourage children to participate in sports and cultural activities.

Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe has said the proposal would empower children and young adults who want to get involved in sports and culture, and also easing the burden for parents.

Costed at €127 million, the proposal would see every child between the ages of 4 and 18 receive a card worth €130 which they could spend on extracurricular sports or arts activities.

Sinn Féin said they were following in the footsteps of Iceland’s recreation card model which was rolled out in 2007.

Crowe said, “the success of Team Ireland at the Olympics reminds us of the power of sport to unite and uplift communities, and the importance of investing in our young people.”

“Sinn Féin believes in addressing this inequality of access, and easing the burden for parents and families who are struggling with the cost of living,” he said.

“Our €127 million proposal would see every child between the ages of 4 and 18 receive an activity card worth €130 which they could spend on extracurricular sports or arts activities.”

“Our policy acknowledges the real benefits of investing in sports and cultural participation from a young age,” he noted.

“We know from research by the ESRI and Barnardos that up to 20% of children drop out of individual activities due to the financial cost of the sport, and parents are struggling to cover subscription fees and the cost of kits and equipment; only half of those involved in structured cultural activities outside school at age 9 remain involved by the time they reach 13.”

He stated that Sinn Fein’s proposed policy would acknowledge “the real benefits of investing in sports and cultural participation from a young age, in terms of community development, social cohesion and educational results, as well as health and wellbeing.”

As a result of the scheme, Crowe stated that the Irish economy would save money in the long term and take pressure off the health service.”

“The scheme would let us support young people to stay active, helping to tackle obesity, depression, and substance abuse.”

“The evidence from Iceland is striking, where their recreation card is credited with increasing youth participation and drastically reducing the number of teenagers engaged in anti-social activity, including alcohol, tobacco and drug use which used to be among the highest in Europe.”

“Ireland needs a government prepared to adopt evidence-based policies based on international best practice, and this activity card proposal is one way to do just that,” he said.