asked the Minister for Education if he will give an assurance that the allocation of funds to the Irish Olympic Committee will not be influenced by any decision they may take on participation in the Moscow Olympics.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Olympic Committee Funds.
19.
The allocation of funds to the Irish Olympic Committee in 1980 will be made in the context of the level of the committee's activities and actual expenditure in that year.
May we take it, therefore, that if the committee decide to attend the Moscow Olympics the Government's grant to them will be based on that reality regardless of whatever policy the EEC or the Government may adopt in this matter?
The Deputy knows that a final decision has not been taken by anybody in respect of the olympics this year. The Olympic Committee have taken the decision in respect of the Olympic Games.
Will the Minister give an assurance that he will not use a financial stick to beat the Irish Olympic Committee into alignment with whatever policy the Government choose to adopt, especially if it is a policy of boycott?
Since I was given responsibility for sport I have not used any financial stick on anybody and it is not my intention to start doing so this year.
Will the Minister tell the House the figure for the grant-in-aid paid so far to the Olympic Committee?
That is a separate question but the Minister may answer it if he has the information.
In 1977 the grant to the Olympic Committee was £35,000; in 1978 it was £40,000 and last year—being the pre-Olympic year and an important year—it was £60,000. In addition to that I established a range for a special pre-Olympic training programme at Thomond College, Limerick, and at Ballinteer community school sports complex and provided an extra amount of £20,000 for those facilities. We have made other arrangements so that any athletes called upon to represent Ireland in the Olympic Games would be seen to have been given a fair opportunity by the Department and by all the agencies and voluntary bodies involved in this area.
I should like to take the opportunity to congratulate the Minister on his work in this area.
That is not a question.
Will the Minister say what became of the decision made by him and publicly announced six weeks ago that we were going to Moscow?
In reply to the Deputy, I would ask him what became of it?
That is what I would like to know. There was an announcement by the Minister of "Moscow, here we come".
Actually there was not. The Deputy should brief himself on the matter and not try to hop on to something where he might get cheap publicity——
There was an announcement concerning attendance at Moscow and the Minister knows that.
I exhorted all the athletes to continue their training for this year's Olympic Games.
The cry was, "Moscow, here we come".
Was the Minister misrepresented?
I am telling the House what I said. If the Deputy wishes he can take it up with the Press. He may have the time to do that; I have not.
Will the Minister tell the Irish Olympic Committee, if he has not done so already, that if they want to go to Moscow for the Olympics they can go with his blessing and his money?
The Olympic Committee have sufficient faith in me and have had sufficient consultations with me to know precisely how I feel about this matter. They do not share the anxiety that the Deputy presumes to utter on their behalf.
We will see at the end of the day.