I move the following motion standing in my name:—
That Dáil Éireann is of opinion that recreation grounds for athletes and the encouragement of physical culture should be provided for youths and adults.
I have extreme confidence that the consideration of this motion will receive the sympathetic approval of the House. In the course of many discussions which have been inaugurated here, recognition has been given for the necessity of providing for the education of people, of safeguarding their health, of promoting schemes for the improvement of social conditions and for supplying assistance and encouragement to voluntary efforts to aid in the achievement of these ends. While commendable progress has been made to assuage social conditions, all too common in this country, it must be admitted that much remains to be done, and that the State has failed to provide adequate facilities to counter the dangers which threaten, and often overcome, the morale of growing children, and indeed, of adults. While the State has provided reasonably well for all these necessities, it has neglected sadly to provide recreational facilities for growing children and for adults.
Experts in the education of children and those charged with their correction are all agreed that a very common cause of juvenile deliquency is the failure to provide for youths the necessary means for playing games. In the absence of any facilities of this nature, it is quite natural for a child, who must have an outlet for the expenditure of his physical energy, to commit, possibly, petty offences, and, if unrestrained, to progress gradually until a career of crime seems to be the only goal open to the child. In this process of degradation the unfortunate youth develops an abnormal mental attitude more or less characterised by a state of bravado which, unfortunately, is but a perversion of the great attribute of fortitude. What a different story of such a boy might be told if, instead of using his physical energies in destructive activities, he had the opportunity of indulging in some form of athletics and recreational exercises? Generally, it is accepted that athletics must be regarded as a corollary to the development of mental education.
Apart altogether from the strength which comes as a result of physical activities, there develops in the mind of the growing child a certain sense of rivalry which is thoroughly unselfish and which breeds respect for those with whom he may come in competition. The development of such an attitude of mind in such a child must be accepted as one of the greatest blessings which would come to a child in the development of its character but, generally speaking, except in cases where a child is at a boarding-school, the opportunity for the development of physical activities in the child are absent.
True, voluntary effort has supplied, and continues to supply, the means by which the growing youth may enjoy the pleasure of physical competition with his rivals. Apart altogether from the personal comfort which can come through a well-regulated form of athletics in this or in any other country, it is now generally recognised, and it is of the highest importance, that in international contests a nation is sometimes judged by the performance of its representatives in international games. Certainly pre-eminence in competitions adds to the prestige of the nation and also it may happen that when there is failure to achieve pre-eminence, there is often a certain glory in defeat. In success or failure the prestige of the nation can be secured by the presence of its athletes competing against other nations.
In this country existing conditions for the provision of athletics are indeed disgraceful. Were it not for the voluntary effort of which I have spoken, playing fields would be at a discount. It would be terrible to contemplate what might have happened if the limited accommodation which is now available were not, such as it is, at the disposal of the youth of the country. What opportunity has a young child in the slums of Dublin, under conditions which sometimes are as appalling as can be imagined, to take his place in any form of athletic competition? What opportunity has he to develop his physical energies unless by playing football in some back lane and receiving from some authority an order to refrain and to go elsewhere?
There are thousands of these children who never see a playing field until they reach the age of maturity. They have never had an opportunity to exercise their physical energies and, if they had, it might be of a nature which would not commend itself to society. Not only have the children in the slums no opportunity of playing games, but in the country the difficulty of getting fields is sometimes insuperable. That condition prevails even in County Dublin where it is impossible for enthusiastic youths to obtain recreation grounds. Any appeal which they may make to authoritative sources up to now has been unsuccessful.
In Scotland all games are catered for at a very reasonable cost. There is no hurling in Scotland, but there is shinty, I believe, and as regards games of the more robust type, like football, not only are they catered for but, where children who are not of a robust stature or robust physique are concerned, they can play golf, tennis, cricket and any other game they like for a very modest charge. One of the finest golf courses in the world, which was at one time the centre of an open championship— the golf course at Braid Hills, outside Edinburgh—was available to any citizen at a cost of ninepence. I cannot understand why our Government, which is so alive to the necessity for the provision of social services, education and health services, should fail to appreciate the necessity for the encouragement of physical culture. From a health point of view it cannot be denied that physical culture is a very essential attribute in the development of the child. The Fianna Fáil Government voted a sum of money for athletics. It was a small sum of some £20,000 odd, but it was at least a step in the right direction. It was not intended to provide playing fields throughout the country. It was earmarked towards assisting in the provision of a cinder track in Dublin. No matter how one looks at it, it was a gesture of encouragement towards voluntary effort and for that reason it merits sincere approbation. It is a pity the present Government did not make some provision, even in a small way, for the encouragement of athletics generally. It is not possible to estimate the benefits that might have followed as a result of the investment of this £20,000 odd in athletics. Certainly that sum, small as it was, showed an appreciation of the necessity for the encouragement of physical culture.
I appeal to the present Government to follow the lead that was given to it. I would suggest that, as well as provision for outdoor games, something should be done too towards providing accommodation for indoor games and physical culture generally particularly in country areas. The cost of equipping boxing rings or halls for physical culture would be comparatively negligible. I think the Fianna Fáil Government realised that this would be so and that voluntary efforts would more than compensate them for the monetary encouragement they gave. I hope that this motion will receive the consideration and attention it deserves. The Minister for Local Government is himself acquainted with the benefits of athletics and physical culture and I hope that he will consider seriously the advisability of inquiring into the possibility of giving effect to the terms of this motion.
