5,000 people joined pilot

Sport Ireland said its Physical Activity for Health pilot reached 4,615 people with chronic conditions across six Irish counties, linking them to local exercise programmes. (sportireland.ie) Sport Ireland published the evaluation on April 7, 2026, World Health Day. The pilot has run since March 2023 in Mayo, Longford, Wicklow, Wexford, Limerick and Waterford. (sportireland.ie 1) (sportireland.ie 2) The programme was developed by Sport Ireland and funded by the Department of Health through Sláintecare and Health Service Executive Health and Wellbeing. It uses Local Sports Partnerships officers to connect health services with subsidised community classes and activity groups. (sportireland.ie 1) (sportireland.ie 2) The basic problem is a gap after treatment: people with long-term illnesses are often told to be more active, but they are not always given a safe local route into exercise. The pilot built referral and “signposting” pathways from Primary Care Teams and Chronic Disease Hubs into community programmes. (sportireland.ie 1) (sportireland.ie 2) Sport Ireland’s summary report said the pilot expanded the range and quality of community physical activity options for people with chronic conditions. It also reported improvements in physical health, mental wellbeing and social connection among participants. (sportireland.ie) Local results show how unevenly the national total was distributed. In Limerick, the programme reached about 1,600 people, including 951 through MoveWell classes and 651 through educational talks, according to Limerick Sports Partnership. (live95fm.ie) Ministers used the evaluation to argue for wider rollout. Sport Minister Patrick O’Donovan said the programme showed what was possible when Local Sports Partnerships and health services worked together, while Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she looked forward to its further development. (sportireland.ie) The evaluation itself points to the next step: scale. Sport Ireland said national expansion is anticipated over time, with the pilot’s delivery model intended to guide future rollout beyond the first six counties. (sportireland.ie) (sportireland.ie)