Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A NEW INTERNATIONAL scale to measure children’s physical activity has graded Ireland with a D minus.
In academic terms, that’s barely a pass of course.
And while the findings are hardly encouraging, they place us right in the middle of the ‘global matrix’ of other countries also employing the system.
“Ireland is neither leading nor lagging on how supportive we are as a country to children’s physical activity,” said Dr Deirde Harrington, who chaired the research group that developed the Irish ‘Report Card on Physical Activity and Youth’.
“There are some things we do well and we need to keep momentum up. But there are also many gaps, including the development, launch and implementation of a National Physical Activity Plan that is adequately funded.”
Fifteen countries from around the world are publishing their grades based on children’s physical activity at the Global Summit on Physical Activity of Children in Toronto today.
Data compiled from the island of Ireland shows that only between only between 12 per cent and 43 cent of children actually get enough physical activity.
Overall Physical Activity Levels – D minus
Organised Sport Participation – C minus
Physical Education – D minus
Active Play – Inconclusive
Active Transportation – D
Sedentary Behaviour (TV viewing) – C minus
Home (support from family) – Inconclusive
School (extra-curricular sport) – C minus
Community and the Built Environment (perceptions) – B
Government (strategies and investments) – Inconclusive
“This report shows that everyone, from teachers and parents to policy-makers, has a collective responsibility to increase children’s physical activity levels,” said Professor Marie Murphy of the University of Ulster, which also contributed to the report.
“I would encourage everyone to look at this evidence, look at the positive impact they could have on the health and well-being of future generations and take action.”
Dr Sarah Jane Belton, a lecturer in physical education at DCU, said she was concerned that the planned removal of PE as a subject from the junior cycle curriculum could cause problems in the future.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
It’s like Newspeak from ’1984′. As bad as conventional politics is, Trump and his associates have reached new depths in dishonesty.
@David A. Murray: as have the democrats
@Seamus Mac: Rudi and Trump.
@TheHeathen: That is so disturbing.
@TheHeathen: I don’t even have to watch it to know it’s Rudy in drag with Trump. First time I saw it I genuinely thought it was a hoax.
Looks like the Dems are trying to impeach Trump on the basis that they do not like him.
Today will be remembered as the day that the Democrats officially threw the towel in on their party.
Trump will be re-elected by a landslide.
@➕The Gray➕: if it was because they didn’t like then that would’ve happened a long time ago. It would appear that there is significant substance to this story. A whistleblower, his attorney admitting to gathering dirt, trump admitting to threats of withholding funds…stinks of trying to influence future elections. If the Dems didn’t at least hold impeachment inquiries then they’d go down as the softest shower in history of their party, bordering on facilitating his antics.
@➕The Gray➕: I cannot believe it has taken this long. Trump is obviously unfit for office and his stonewalling and general attitude towards accountability is clear. If anything, the Dems should have done this as soon as Mueller report was started.
@➕The Gray➕: Landslide you say? :)
Uh huh
Doing this “because they don’t like him”?
They’ve never liked him. They didn’t like W Bush either but there was never a chance he’d be impeached. What is it that makes Trump different? Could it be that he is incapable of telling the truth?
Maybe it’s because it looks clear that he’s been caught literally pressuring a foreign power into investigating a political rival? Something that is flat out illegal.
But sure, it cos “they don’t like him”.
If you were in any way honest and weren’t a paid shill you’d admit that if a Democrat did this you’d 100% support an Impeachment Inquiry (as would I btw). But you won’t because an honest political discourse isn’t your intent here.
@Bob Earner: course he would. Watch the tumbleweed blow by…….whisshhh
@➕The Gray➕: President Trump is a shoe in for re-election. The American economy is booming (but but but it would collapse after he was elected according to hard liberal lefties) and more Americans in work than any other time in history including African Americans. As that famous rascal Bill Clinton once said ” it’s the economy stupid”. Democrats look increasingly unhinged with every passing day.
@Jonathan: trump inherited a healthy economy from Obama. He claimed that economic growth was because if him when he was barely a wet week in office. He hasn’t matched Obama job growth from ’14/’15 despite all his claims. Economic policies take time to see an effect. As we approach the end of his tenure, many experts are saying a recession is looking…
@Bruce Van der Gutschmitzer: *looming
@Bruce Van der Gutschmitzer: A friend of mine that works with leveraged funds told me he believes it’ll start declining in Oct, and the full impact to be felt around Feb of next year. Told me that if I wanted to buy somewhere get the mortgage in place now so when prices drop it’ll be possible to buy without delay.
@Jonathan: you don’t exist :o
@➕The Gray➕: any decision yet on when you’ll be in Cork hon? All this looking over my shoulder is getting boring…there’s never anyone there.
@Jonathan: the economy will degrade if this muppet is relected
The fact that you puts Rudy Giuliani out on the air as your savior , just shows how much credibility Trump has. The whole Republican party at his disposal and he wheels out Giuliani who contradicts himself before he finishes his sentence.
@The long walk home☘️: and he was a national hero after 9/11. Now he’s just a shouty old man trump puppet. Sad.
@Brian Dunne: He may have had a moment but before 9/11 he was not exactly loved. Either way what he is doing now will destroy anything good he did in the past. By all accounts he appears to be drunk alot now
@The long walk home☘️: shame Spitting Image is not on anymore, Rudy has a face for radio!
Even when the president’s own personal attorney admits to visiting Ukraine to get dirt, they circle the wagons! If it was Obama in office and he carried on the trump has, he’d have been impeached 20 times over.
The Dims have dragged US politics into the gutter. They still haven’t gotten over DT’s win.
@Jack Simpson: The RepubliKKKlans have always been in the gutter :-)
So what we know is that the official Ukrainian position is there was no pressure from Trump & no favours promised. We know the whistleblower didn’t hear the conversation he speaks about, nor did he read the transcript, rather he heard it from a 3rd party. We also know Trump is releasing the transcript today, though it may be tomorrow before it gets the all clear. He claims he has nothing to hide in it.
I think what we’ll be seeing from Biden’s side is that Burisma who Hunter worked for had a contract with Chevron, who in turn had a licence for fracking in eastern Ukraine, but they couldn’t get started because of the local population. 3 days after Joe chaired a meeting of the Ukranian Council of Ministers, the war in Eastern Ukraine began & the local population was cleared. More to come.
@Burn_the_Witch: pfff ….biased much ffs….
@Burn_the_Witch:One of the payments sent to Hunter, $3 million was sent from Ukraine, through a Latvian Bank, where it was laundered, then on to a Cypriot Bank. When the fired prosecutor asked the Cypriot bank how much the payment was, he was told the US embassy told the Cypriot bank not to disclose the amount. Ukraine-Latvia-Cyprus-US is a regular money laundering route.
This is going to be a huge scandal when it gets out involving Shell and Chevron, Joe and Hunter Biden, John Kerry’s Son, fracking and finally the war in Eastern Ukraine.
And that’s all before we even get to China where Hunter (with virtually no business experience) flew with Joe in Air Force 2 and received $1.5Billion for his fund. Hmmm…..
@Dave Hammond: No, just following the story. I’ll keep you updated. The media will eventually catch up, but that could be weeks or even months away. Some like John Solomon have been investigating this story for years, so it’s all out there. You should really look into it yourself though, without bias of course.
@Dave Hammond: Clearly you are! Someone said it so it must me true? T w a t
So Don Jnr complains about Biden’s son benefiting from his father’s vice presidency, but not a word about the grifting trump siblings benefiting from Don Senior being in office.
@Kendra Jackson: how has Don Jr benefited?
@Jack Simpson: isn’t Don Jr responsible for running the Trump Corp hotels etc while daddy is busy in office ?? Ya know all them hotels that the US military , the Saudi Government , The VP etc etc are using – are you really that blind to the partisan nonsense that is being spun in american politics….seriously ffs.
@Dave Hammond: Chill out Dave. Unlike some, I look for facts first. Show me evidence that Don Jr has benefited from his dad being in office? Show me proof that US military, the Saudi government, etc.do anything differently now than before DT took office. I’m not interested in speculation or rumour. Re the VP, his ancestors come from Doonbeg. Are there any other 5 star hotels in Doonbeg? Or did you expect him to stay in an Airbnb?
@Jack Simpson: go back and check your facts mate.
@Jack Simpson:The most recent example came last year, as The Washington Post reported in August that a visit from Saudi officials to Trump’s Trump International Hotel in New York City helped boost the hotel’s quarterly revenue by 13% in 2018′s first quarter.
The bump came after two straight years of booking declines for the property, according to a letter obtained by the Post in which the manager of the Trump hotel cited “a last-minute visit to New York by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.”
@Dave Hammond: You must have all the facts then!
1) Throw up a link.
2) Have important people stayed at the hotel before DT became president?
3) Did DT request that these officials stay at the hotel?
Looking forward to seeing these facts.
@Jack Simpson: knock yourself out mate -your full of crap
@Dave Hammond: you must be a dim supporter. All hot air.
@Jack Simpson: is that all you can say when you are given some examples of facts you asked for ? pretty pathetic.
I expect there to be an absolute deluge of panicking from Trumpists / paid shills now that he’s clearly, blatantly and publicly crossed the line and the Impeachment Inquiry has been triggered.
There will be desperate attempts to twist this to be about Biden, about “the Dems” and to claim “this will cause Trump to win in a landslide” (even though his approval rating is the lowest it’s ever been).
They’ll be screaming that “This is the end of the Dems”, “Witchhunt” etc. etc. etc.
But that’s what happens when you corner a rat and it panics.
@Bob Earner: clearly, blatantly and publicly!!!! Jaysus at least wait for the evidence. Not biased are we?
have your say