Thomas P. Broughan
Question:24 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation when he will introduce legislation to criminalise the use of drugs in sport. [15476/99]
Written Answers. - Sports Anti-Doping Programme.
Michael Bell
Question:30 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation when the long promised national sports anti-doping programme will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15474/99]
Breeda Moynihan-Cronin
Question:47 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the plans, if any, he has for an education campaign to warn those participating in sports, particularly children, of the dangers of the use of drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15469/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 24, 30 and 47 together.
The Deputy, and indeed all Members of the House, will be well aware of my abhorrence of drug taking within sport and my commitment to do all within my power to help eliminate this scourge.
To this end, I announced details of Ireland's first ever national sports anti-doping programme last year. The programme was circulated to interested parties, including the national governing bodies of sport who will be responsible for applying sanctions in accordance with their own rules and regulations to any player-athlete found in breach of anti-doping regulations.
The programme has been designed with refer ence to the Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention 1989, which seeks a three strand approach to the reduction of doping in sport – namely testing, research and educational programmes and information campaigns.
Implementation of the national anti-doping programme will be the responsibility of the new statutory Irish sports council. The sports Act was signed by the President on 18 May and Deputies will be pleased to know that I have just signed the order designating 1 July as the establishment day for the council.
Meanwhile, to facilitate early start-up of testing, tenders were invited last February for sample collection services and laboratory analysis services. The tenders are currently being assessed by a tender assessment board. The recommendations of the board will be ready for submission to the first meeting of the statutory Irish Sports Council.
NGBs have been asked to outline their current provisions regarding anti-doping and the adequacy and appropriateness of their constitutions, rules and regulations in the context of their role under the anti-doping programme.
Education has a very important role to play in creating a sporting environment that fosters the pursuit of excellence and fulfilment in sport by fair and ethical means – as recognised by the Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention 1989.
As I have mentioned, the programme has been designed to encompass broad educational programmes and informational campaigns emphasising the dangers to health inherent in doping and its harm to the ethical values of sport.
It is expected that the new sports council will be developing campaigns in co-operation with the national coaching and training centre, Limerick, the NGBs and the health promotion unit of the Department of Health and Children to take advantage of that unit's considerable experience in promulgating health education campaigns.
Education programmes and information campaigns will, of course, need the fullest co-operation and support from all those involved in sport if the scourge of drug taking is not to be carried on through future generations of sports boys and girls, men and women.
In this regard I will be asking for the fullest and wholehearted commitment from all those involved in sport – parents, schools, sponsors, trainers, coaches, doctors and, most importantly, high profile athletes – to work with the Irish sports council and the national governing bodies in actively promoting the qualities of genuine sporting endeavour and educate our young people involved in sport about the very real health risks associated with the taking of performance enhancing drugs and, indeed, the potential health risks in the misuse of other products such as food supplements.
While my core objective is the introduction of the national sports anti-doping programme, which is predicated on the active participation of autonomous national governing bodies of sport, I have also felt that the measures in the programme might be complemented through the application of certain legislative based measures.
A number of options have been identified which I and my officials are pursuing – most specifically in the area of possession and supply of certain performance enhancing drugs.
In this regard, I have had discussions with my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, with regard to incorporating certain substances used within sport under Ireland's general drugs legislation.
The Minister was supportive of my overall proposal and discussions are currently under way with regard to the types of drugs used for the enhancement of sports performances that may be suitable for inclusion in the schedule to the Misuse of Drugs Act.
I consider that amending general drugs legislation to include certain performance enhancing drugs will send a very strong signal to those coaches, trainers, athletes and any other persons found in possession of such specified drugs that they will, in future, be committing an offence under Irish law and be subject to the full rigours of that law.
Drug abuse in sport, of its nature, cannot, of course, be tackled at just the national level. Doping in sport is an international problem which requires a concerted and co-ordinated response at international level.
This has also been acknowledged at European level where the EU has committed itself to work together with sports organisations in the fight against doping in sport. At the instigation of EU Sports Ministers, the European Commission has established a working group composed of officials of the member states to assist in preparing a report on harmonising both national and European assistance for doping control.
I believe strongly that we should work together collectively to address these issues.