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By Elaine Canny
Ireland is one of the most sporting countries in the world. GAA, international soccer, boxing, swimming, motor sport, equestrian sport and sailing are dominating the world and being led by the Irish. Sport plays a vital role in the development of young people in this country. Sports have been in our culture for many centuries, and during this European elections campaign, Sports and the lack of emphasis put on young people’s involvement in them had been raised. With the current TV and computer games culture taking over young people, sporting is a major issue in getting young people involved in these elections.
Micheal Seoige a young student from north Galway said "I think sport should be one of the main issues that MEPs should focus on if they want young people to become more involved in politics. Sport is a major pastime among my age. Not only did playing sports keep me fit and active but on a more serious level, it kept me on the straight and narrow while I was in school. It kept me more focused on school, I had training four times a week so I was taking care of myself, I didn’t touch alcohol even though most my friends were out drinking, I couldn’t as I wouldn’t have been able to perform as well as I did. I also had to keep my grades up in order to make the teams, so I did well in school too".
Sporting plays a vital role in bringing communities together. MEPs such as Fine Gael’s MEP Jim Higgins and Fianna Fail’s MEP candidate Paschal Mooney emphasised the importance in raising the issue of sports among young people.
Paschal Mooney said "The EU plays a pro-active role through the ‘Sports for All’ program. We are living in the X-box generation, where the computer is more relevant than the football, the basketball, or the racket. Obesity levels have risen dramatically in the last ten years, so it is MEPs' jobs to harness young people’s focus on sports. I must applaud the various sporting bodies in Ireland like the GAA who have played a sterling role in getting young people involved in sports. I think the focus is on jobs and the economy so the issue of sports is being somewhat neglected. It is an issue that interests me myself, i was a sports broadcaster for many years, if i was elected MEP, i would explore the issues of sports and initiatives.
Jim Higgins said "Sports and athletics have been a long time passion for me. As a former GAA player i believe the promotion of sports provided and important recreational and social outlet for participants and spectators. I sponsor a premier league match for Sligo Rovers each year. I am also a patron of Finn Harps FC in Donegal. All politics is local".
With the like of Katie Taylor (Boxing ) and Adam Carroll (Motor Sport) making a name for themselves, with the backing of MEPs the issue of sports with young people will be brought into more focus.
Elections are Friday 5 June with both Jim Higgins and Paschal Mooney running for election in the North West Constiuency.
By Elaine Canny
With only a matter of hours away until Super Friday, it is hoped by all political candidates that the youth of Ireland use their vote in making their mark in Ireland today. According to a study carried out, over 70% of young people will not use their vote. Young people are becoming more and more disengaged with politics, viewing it as "corrupt" and "boring". With the current economic climate it’s more important than ever for young people to get out and enforce a change in politics whether it be local, national or Europe. The dole figures are on the rise and have reached record numbers. Unemployment levels are accelerating at uncontrollable speeds and thousands of young graduates are leaving the country. This summer Ireland is facing losing its most skilled youth.
Earlier this year, the Taoiseach predicted that 400,000 people would sign on. At this stage those figures are steadily being met. FÁS predicts unemployment will increase to 12% by this time next year. In December the ESRI predicted unemployment would rise to 10% in 2009.
Speaking with Fianna Fail MEP candidate Paschal Mooney, he has urged the youth to get out and use their vote. Referring to young people, unemployment was the main issues Paschal came up against in his campaign .
"I believe national government plays a vital role in creating training placements for graduates coming out of colleges with limited employment opportunities, i don’t think they have responded as adequately as they should have, but i do accept there was budget constraints that have impacted adversely in that. The European Union’s social fund provides 45% of the overall budget which is directed at youth employment, training and up skilling and i believe that is the way newly elected MEPs should challenge the fund in creating employment. This constituency (North West) has a great entrepreneurial spirit with 55% of employment coming from small enterprise businesses. I would be a strong advocate in supporting training places for young people. Many people have been living on the margin despite the Celtic Tiger, there is a lot of talent among the youth in this area i would hate to see that wasted, (...) it could come back to haunt us one day."
Aisling, a recent Civil engineering graduate of GMIT, Galway says ‘"I think more emphasis has to be put on students and what happens after they graduate, something needs to be put in place in order to get us to the next level of our careers, there are no jobs out there, I’m facing into the dole queues , it wasn’t the outcome i expected four years ago when i took up my course. If politicians want us to become more aware of them, they should start helping us out".
Thousands of students are leaving the country by the day, in the hope of finding work and a better life elsewhere. Ireland once upon a time was a booming economy with a skilled and ambitious workforce that had the potential to take this country beyond its limits. Now it’s a country left ravaged and burned by an incompetent government who failed to watch for the iceberg. Voting begins tomorrow in the North West.
