Vol. 296 No. 11
asked the Minister for Education if he will set up a commission, to report within six months and comprised of voluntary people, to inquire into the competitive readiness of this country's sportsmen and women for international competitions, to consider financial structures for sporting organisations generally and to examine the facilities available to sporting organisations throughout the country.
34.
asked the Minister for Education if he will make a statement on the international competitiveness of this country's sportsmen and women, and the action he intends to take to ensure increased success at international competition level such as the Olympic Games.
35.
asked the Minister for Education if he is aware that, because of severe shortages of finance, sporting organisations cannot provide sufficient competitors of international standard; and the action he intends to take in the matter.
36.
asked the Minister for Education if he is aware that, in the interest of national prestige, sporting organisations require large inflows of finance to ensure equal competition success and opportunities with the other nations of the world.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 to 36, inclusive, together.
The preparation of athletes and teams for international competition is a matter for the national governing body of the sport concerned in association with the Olympic Council of Ireland, where appropriate. It would not be my policy to interfere with their arrangement.
My Department's scheme of grants to sporting organisations is intended to assist generally in the areas of coaching, equipment and administration. Subject to prior approval, some of the grant may be spent on international competition for top-class athletes or teams where the objective would be an improvement of standards. In addition, substantial grants are paid to the Olympic Council of Ireland to help in the development of athletes and teams by special training and by participation in events held overseas.
The Parliamentary Secretary stated that substantial grants were paid to the Olympic Council of Ireland. Will he tell the House how substantial were those grants?
The grant made available in 1976 to the Olympic Council of Ireland was £40,000. This was four times the amount made available in 1973.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary agree that the performance of our athletes in the last Olympic Games was, to say the least, not good? Further, will he tell the House the cause of this, arising out of his experience in dealing with youth and sporting organisations?
I do not agree with the Deputy.
I am not asking him if he agrees or disagrees.
In the first part of this question the Deputy asked me if I so agreed. I do not agree with him that the performance of Irish athletes in the Olympics was not good. We achieved better results in the last Olympics than had been the case in most previous Olympics since 1956.
I am not talking of moral victories——
In the Montreal Olympics Ireland obtained two fourth places in athletics and rowing, we reached the quarter finals in boxing and we were sixth in show jumping. That is a very good record for a country with our population.
I am not talking about moral victories——
They are not moral victories; they are real achievements.
I am talking about Olympic gold medals. That is what we must be concerned about. Will the Parliamentary Secretary tell the House if there has been a policy on sports produced by a group set up by him or by the Minister for Education?
There has been continuing discussion in relation to the policy to be adopted with regard to sport. This has had some practical results already and a number of other matters are being considered. Among the results already evident are the quadruling of the grant to the Irish Olympic Council and the fact that grants to sporting organisations have been increased by 150 per cent since 1973. In addition, provision is being made for the expenditure by the Department of £80,000, which is half the total cost of providing a tartan track for the first time in the Twenty-six Counties. This is recognised as essential for international level competition in athletics. A number of other matters have been brought forward including much more extensive exchanges with other countries in the area of coaching, particularly with France.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary agree that the results on the national and international front have been reflected in this eulogy of non-support for sporting organisations?
Order.
Is there anything to tell us what the people who drew up the document considered to be the future of Irish sport? We know there is a youth policy in existence, but is there such a document on sport?
I would not accept the supposition that the Deputy seems to be putting forward: that the only measure of success in a sports policy is international competitive success. The most important element in a sports policy is to achieve the maximum amount of participation by ordinary people, whether or not they are capable of achieving national or international success. That has been the overriding objective of the policy that I have been pursuing in relation to sport.
I want to raise this matter on the adjournment, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.
