asked the Minister for Education whether it is proposed to make additional funds available to the Irish Olympic Council towards the necessary preparation of our athletes for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Olympic Games, 1984.
19.
The question of making additional funds available to the Olympic Council of Ireland for participation in the 1984 Olympic Games is at present under consideration by my Department in the context of the present overall budgetary situation.
Would the Minister accept that his answer seems to deal more with statistics and economics than a realisation of the fact that next year we will be asking young men and women to represent Ireland at the Olympic Games and that we should be deciding now whether to take part in those games? Those athletes cannot compete unless they get the money which is urgently required now.
The question asked whether additional funds would be made available and I said I will be examining this matter in the context of the overall financial situation.
Would the Minister accept "ní hé lá na gaoithe", that this is the year we should be doing all we can to help in this area? I am helping the Minister get money from his Government for the athletes and I want him to accept that financially 1983 will be much more important than 1984.
I accept that this is a worthy cause to which I would be very pleased to contribute, but there are constraints on me and the Deputy should understand that. I share his view that 1983 is an important year for athletics and this is something I will be considering, hopefully, later.