Ennis calls For Full Support For Inter County Athletes

Ennis Welcomes Inter-county Athlete Study 

Sinn Féin MLA Sinéad Ennis has welcomed the publication of the new Economic and Social Research Institute study in to inter-county athletes by the GAA and Gaelic Players Association.

The party’s Culture, Arts and Sport spokesperson said: “This report is beneficial for gaining an insight into the pressures currently faced by county players throughout Ireland.

“It is an honour to represent your county on the highest stage possible but player welfare must also be prioritised.

“We must remember that it is not just a person’s physical health that it is important, a person’s mental health is equally as important.

“The GAA and Gaelic Players Association must ensure that the right balance is struck between a player’s inter-county career and their downtime outside of the game.

“Some of the statistics around hours spent per week on inter-county commitment and lack of sleep along with other aspects need to be looked at and improved on.

“I am calling for the recommendations from this study to be implemented as soon as possible to start improving the conditions for inter-county athletes.”