Yes, copies of my script are on the way. In the intervening period, this Government has brought a new drive and momentum to the development of Irish sport, of which this Bill constitutes the latest and perhaps the most important stage in this process. For example, the 1998 allocation, at £26 million, represents almost double the previous year's allocation by the outgoing Government. Furthermore, a number of long-standing schemes have been subjected to major review in terms of their effectiveness and their impact in relation to Government policy, particularly in areas of socio-economic disadvantage.
As a result, the grant scheme for national governing bodies has been rationalised, simplified and redesigned specifically to facilitate more planning and greater strategy on the part of these bodies in developing and promoting their respective sports. Meanwhile, a comprehensive review of the sports capital programmes is nearing completion, and I expect a new, more focused scheme to be in place for next year's round of allocations under that programme.
A new carding scheme for high-performance athletes has been introduced to replace the previous system of grants for elite athletes. The new scheme is designed to assist the country's most talented sportspersons to realise their potential to perform successfully at the highest international levels. In addition to providing financial support to meet necessary international competition and training expenses, the carding scheme will provide services ranging from sports science and medical support to career counselling. In this way it is intended that Ireland's most talented international sports people, including junior and developing talent, will have access free of charge to a holistic support system geared to helping them realise their full potential and to perform successfully at the highest international level.
In line with another of its commitments in An Action Programme for the Millennium, the Government has asked that a tender procedure for the design, construction, financing and management of a 50 metre swimming pool be initiated. This tender competition has attracted considerable interest from both the private and public sectors, and nine qualified candidates have been issued with a comprehensive and detailed project brief. I hope that realistic and worthwhile proposals will now come forward by 27 November, the deadline for tender submissions, and that it will be possible to identify a successful tender early in the new year.
The programme for Government also signalled our interest in pursuing a joint venture route with interested commercial and sporting organisations for the provision of national and regional sports facilities. A steering committee has now been set up to oversee the undertaking of a feasibility study on the development of a world-class stadium for the new century. The committee, which includes representatives of the main sporting bodies, welcomes the input of all interested sporting bodies as it is our intention that any development will be adaptable to as many uses as possible.
Sport plays a unique role in the lives of our people. This is manifest everywhere with thousands of people involved every day in playing, coaching and administering the demanding and often complex area of sport. The contribution of the voluntary worker has been the backbone of Irish sport for generations, and it is vital that this special element of our sport be nurtured, developed and supported.
Beyond the intrinsic value of participation — sport for sport's sake — sport is also a key element in the social and economic life of the country. Active participation in competitive or recreational sport contributes enormously to the physical and mental well-being of the individual and, by extension, of the community and nation. Success at national and international competitions creates a sense of pride, excites interest and raises morale. Involvement in sport creates a sense of unity and identity for communities, towns and villages in every part of the country.
The achievements of our top competitors and the hard work, commitment and dedication behind their success all serve to inspire, encourage and raise our spirits. Young people especially need role models and heroes to inspire and encourage them. Sport can play a preventative role in the fight against crime and drug use, especially among young people. Active involvement in sport can help foster a sense of confidence and self-esteem and counteract the problems of isolation and social exclusion.
Sport also makes a significant contribution to our economy. It is estimated that direct employment in sports activities and in sports related activities, such as travel, catering, tourism and the media, accounts for over 18,000 full-time equivalent jobs in Ireland. Last year more than 900,000 foreign tourists took part in sports activities during their stay in Ireland.
As we approach the millennium, we are witnessing dramatic changes in all aspects of our society. Sport is no exception to this process of change. It is now, more than ever, a truly global phenomenon. Increasing commercial and commodifying influences through sponsorships, marketing and merchandising mean sport is now big business. It is also arguably one of the most powerful presences in broadcasting, with much of our consumption of sport being mediated through such channels. Equally, sport is a social activity which has immense cultural significance and tells us much about the dynamics of social change in our society.
The inevitable consequences of all this change is that the challenges facing sport are now greater than ever before. As Minister with responsibility for sport, my aim is to ensure that Irish sport, its organisations and structures, are all strengthened, and supported in their efforts to meet these challenges square on. I see the Bill and the establishment of the sports council as major stepping stones in this process. One of the most significant challenges facing sport is its need to recreate the traditional spirit and values which were once its hallmark. For many people, these have been replaced by cynicism, gamesmanship and commercial excess where winning at all costs is the order of the day. The increased incidence of drug abuse in sport on a global scale is one of the most significant manifestations of this sorry development. It would be naive to expect that Irish sport could somehow escape the scourge of drug abuse and recent events have only served to underline the need to have it addressed in a systematic and structured way.
In June I launched Ireland's first ever national sports anti-doping programme. This major initiative underlines the Government's commitment to creating a sporting environment which fosters the pursuit of excellence and fulfilment in sport by fair and ethical means, and to ratification of the Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention, 1989, which Ireland signed in June 1992. Details of the programme have been circulated to all governing bodies of sport concerned and discussions are now under way with them on the operational aspects. The programme will incorporate testing, education and research. It will be voluntary but public funding will be withheld from any national governing body or individual athlete opting out of participation in the programme or if those participating breach any element of the rules governing its operation. The new system of dope testing is targeted for nationwide application as soon as the new statutory council is up and running.
The initiative is well timed given recent controversies about drug taking. As soon as the programme is operational, I will request the Minister for Foreign Affairs to initiate the procedures required to enable Ireland to ratify the Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention, 1989. The Bill further emphasises the Government's resolve in dealing with this issue by specifically providing the council with the function, powers and structure to participate actively and constructively in the battle against doping in sport. The Olympic movement also has a major role to play in the area of the fight against drugs. Accordingly, I was delighted to accept an invitation from the Olympic Council of Ireland to open its major and timely conference, Sport Against Drugs, to be held in Dublin this weekend on 6 and 7 November 1998.
The Bill will enable the sports council to support and assist sport right across the spectrum. It will also benefit the outstanding sportspersons and teams who must be given every opportunity to develop and reach their potential. The Bill will assist the ordinary person who wants to take part in sport for recreation and enjoyment, regardless of age, sex or ability. It will do this by providing for specific functions which have as their main aims the promotion of excellence in competitive sport and the encouragment of greater participation in sport. These aims are interlocked and should be seen as a cohesive force for the council. The more people who participate the greater the chance of excellence emerging. The better the achievements of our top sportspeople, the greater the number who will be inspired to emulate them.
A sports council has existed in various forms since 1971 on an ad hoc basis, essentially to act as an advisory body to the Minister and the Government on matters relating to sport. The current non-statutory Irish Sports Council was established in June 1996 with a twofold role, to advise the Minister on all aspects of sport and to co-ordinate the resources and energies of the sports movement. It would be remiss of me if I did not acknowledge the excellent work of the council and its chairperson, John Treacy, in carrying out this role. John Treacy is an internationally respected figure in the world of sport and he has my total support and trust.
The council has been working over the past year with the national governing bodies of sport to help them strengthen their capacity to deliver effectively across the spectrum of their activities. The council has consulted closely with those bodies to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses and to place an emphasis on the need for strategic planning, achieving value for money and the introduction of measurement criteria. To facilitate this work my Department has designed a new simplified but comprehensive grant application and assessment system for sports bodies, which took effect from the beginning of this year.
In the area of children and school sport, the sports council has been continuing its work with the Department of Education and Science in developing initiatives to enhance physical education and sport in schools. As a contribution to that Department's piloting of a new physical education curriculum in selected schools throughout the country, the council, with the National Coaching and Training Centre, is devising specialist training for parents, teachers and club coaches to enable them to work with children in expanding and enhancing the scope and quality of physical education and sport in the selected schools. This training will facilitate synergy between schools and the resources and expertise available to them in clubs and sport organisations in the community.
A special cross-Border pilot project entitled Youth Sport Foyle has been under way for the past 12 months involving schools in Donegal and Derry. The aim of the project is to devise ways of introducing school children to a wide range of new sports activities through the creation of links and programmes involving schools, teachers, parents and coaches working together in the community. The project is funded under the Programme for Peace and Reconciliation. The provisions of the Bill will provide a new and more coherent framework within which work such as this and other initiatives can be progressed and developed.
The Bill will place the concept of a dedicated sports council on a statutory footing for the first time. It will also provide for a major broadening of its role, beyond that of advising, to encompass executive functions, including a number currently carried out by my Department. Sections 1 to 4, inclusive, are standard provisions, setting out the Short Title, the interpretation of key concepts, and providing for appointment, by ministerial order, of a day on which the council shall be established.
Section 6 is one of the more important sections and sets out the functions of the council as follows: to encourage the promotion, development and co-ordination of competitive sport and the achievement of excellence therein; to develop strategies for increasing participation in recreational sport and for co-ordinating their implementation; to facilitate standards of good conduct and fair play in competitive sport through the promulgation of guidelines and codes of practice; to take appropriate action to combat doping in sport; to initiate and encourage research on sport; and, where appropriate, facilitate research and disseminate information on sport. This section also provides that the Minister may confer, essentially to take account of future policy developments, additional functions on the council by order laid before each House of the Oireachtas, subject to such order not being annulled by resolution of the Houses within 21 sitting days.
Sections 7 to 10, inclusive, set out broad parameters within which the council may pursue delivery of its statutory functions, giving it a range of powers to assist it in this task. Section 7 empowers the council to co-operate with, advise and provide assistance, including financial assistance, for persons or groups on matters relating to its functions. It may enter into contracts, including sponsorship agreements, accept gifts and engage consultants and advisers subject to certain conditions; and may charge for services rendered by it.
Section 8 requires the council to establish criteria, terms and conditions, which may differ for different classes of applicants and recipients, for any assistance it provides under section 7 for persons or groups. This section also enables the council to refuse or withhold such assistance and-or demand a refund of financial assistance, if it considers the established criteria, terms and conditions have not been met, or if information requested is not forthcoming. Those terms and conditions will include participation by national governing bodies and individual athletes in the national sports anti-doping programme.
Sections 9 and 10 require the council in performing its functions to have regard to Government policy and comply with general policy directives from me and to respond to any requests from me for advice on any matter relating to its functions or for information regarding the performance of its functions.
Sections 11 to 19, inclusive, set out the basic provisions which will govern the actual operation and running of the council. These sections also provide for the composition and appointment of the council, the circumstances under which a person may be disqualified or removed from membership of the council or a committee of the council, procedures for the holding of council meetings and for the filling of casual vacancies arising on the council.
Section 12 provides for the appointment by the Minister of a council consisting of a chairperson and eight ordinary members for a period of office not exceeding five years, and that such persons may not serve more than two consecutive terms. I have specifically set out to address the gender balance issue by providing that not fewer than three members of the council shall be women and not fewer than three shall be men. I shall also ensure that all members of the council have expertise relevant to the functions of the council.
Section 17 deals with the council's power to appoint a chief executive while section 18 deals with the establishment and dissolution of committees, including a requirement to establish one dealing with anti-doping in sport, the chair of which will be a medically qualified person, to be appointed directly by the Minister. Sections 20 and 21 set out the arrangements for dealing with the disclosure of interests and the unauthorised disclosure of information by council, committee or staff members, consultants or advisers.
Sections 22 and 23 deal with staffing and related matters. The sections provide for the council to employ its own staff subject to certain conditions, including those conditions which will apply to civil servants who may transfer on establishment day to the council, and arrangements for the introduction of staff superannuation schemes.
Section 24 is a standard provision applying to agencies generally and provides that members of Dáil Éireann, Seanad Éireann and the European Parliament will be disqualified from retaining membership of the council or of a committee of the council or, in the case of council staff, shall stand seconded from employment by the council.
Sections 25 and 26 set out the arrangements for the council to periodically report to the Minister and the Oireachtas on its activities, plans and expenditure. Under these sections the council is specifically required to submit for the Minister's approval and presentation to the Oireachtas three year strategy statements comprising its key objectives, outputs and related strategies for the following three year period and a review of the efficiency and effectiveness of all programmes operated by the council. The council will also be required to submit to the Minister for presentation to the Oireachtas annual reports of its activities, including a progress report on the implementation of the strategy statement, and to keep specified accounts which are audited annually by the Comptroller and Auditor General and presented to each House of the Oireachtas.
Sections 27 and 28 provide for transitional arrangements regarding legal proceedings relating to a function of the council which may be pending at establishment day and any rights and liabilities relating to such functions as at that date.
The new council will constitute the lynchpin of the Government's policy of securing a more focused strategic approach to the future development of sport in Ireland. The last 12 months or so have marked one of the single most highly concentrated periods of development in the framework for delivery of support to Irish sport and to the organisations which have nurtured and guided its progress over the decades. I have no doubt that this legislation will maintain that momentum and constitute another important step in the evolution of Irish sport. I commend the Bill to the House.