Leisure & Recreation Services

Local Sports Partnerships may support the Active Leadership Award Initiative to provide training in leadership skills, safety and injury prevention, and planning and organising activity events to those interested in becoming physical activity leaders in their communities.

Local authorities may enforce parking regulations on beaches and can take action against those who park caravans or campervans illegally in non designated public areas.

Local authorities may provide financial support and help to community, voluntary and cycling groups to organise cycling related events such as bike checks and repairs, and cycle safety promotions during national Bike Week.

Local authorities may provide and maintain leisure centres and services including public swimming pools, gyms, fitness and personal training classes, and swimming lessons.

Local Sports Partnerships may run education and training initiatives such as injury prevention, hydration and nutrition, sports first aid, defibrillator use and disability awareness for those involved in sport.

Local authorities may provide and maintain multi use games areas which can accommodate a variety of sports and games such as hurling, tennis, volleyball, basketball, netball and soccer.

Local authorities may provide and maintain outdoor gyms which offer a range of outdoor fitness equipment such as walkers, cross trainers, rowers and steppers.

Local authorities monitor the condition of playing pitches to ensure they are suitable for use. They may ban use if weather conditions have damaged the pitches or if maintenance works such as drainage, topdressing, re-seeding or re-turfing are needed.

Sports clubs and community and voluntary organisations who wish to use local authority owned playing pitches may have to apply to the local authority for a licence.

Local authorities may let their playing pitches to the public during the playing season when they are not in use by licenced sports clubs or community and voluntary organisations.

Local authorities provide and maintain grass and all weather playing pitches for sports clubs, community organisations and individuals to use for a range of sporting activities such as hurling, Gaelic football, rugby and soccer.

Local authorities may provide or facilitate events in public parks such as outdoor cinemas, markets, health and wellbeing activities, and children's events to encourage the public to use the parks.

Local authorities provide information and advice to the public about public playground locations, facilities, opening times and upcoming events.

Local authorities provide and maintain playgrounds with playhouses, swings, seesaws and multi play units.

Local authorities may provide financial support to swimming pool committees or providers to operate and maintain public swimming pools which they run jointly with the local authority.

Local authorities may provide and maintain public swimming pools including children's pools.

Local authorities, together with their Local Sports Partnerships, may run programmes to promote sport and physical activity such as cross country events, family mountain walks, school swim programmes, sports inclusion camps, and physical activity events for children, families and older people.

Local authorities may provide financial support to community and voluntary sporting organisations to develop and improve sports and recreation premises, pitches and equipment.

You must apply to the local authority for a permit to use a jet ski, water ski or boat on lakes or waterways.

Local Sports Partnerships may run the Women in Sport Initiative to promote sports programmes specifically for women and girls to increase their participation in sport, exercise and physical activity.

Local authorities may provide financial support to community playground committees to buy playground equipment and maintain playground surfaces and landscaping.

Local Sports Partnerships may provide financial support to sports clubs to increase participation in minority sports such as judo, basketball, camogie and badminton.

You must apply to the local authority if you want to hold an event in a public park or green area. The events might include family fun days, sports days, charity events, sporting events, art exhibitions and fitness classes.

Local authorities may provide and maintain public parks which offer facilities such as pathways, cycleways, playground, skateboarding areas, playing pitches, outdoor gyms, tea rooms, and performance and exhibition areas.

Local authorities provide information and advice about public parks including locations, available facilities, opening times and upcoming events.

A-Z listings provided by Leisure and Recreation

Local Sport Partnerships prepare plans to promote participation in sport at local level. These include club development, volunteer training and looking at ways to encourage more girls, women, older people, people with disabilities, unemployed people and those who live in disadvantaged communities to take part in sport. You can have an input into the plans through consultation.

Local authorities prepare strategies for the development of children's playgrounds and play facilities. You can have an input into the strategies through consultation.

Local authorities may provide financial support to athletes taking part, or planning to take part, in sports events at national or international level to help with the cost of education, training, travel and equipment.