Vol. 523 No. 4
10 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the plans he has to hold meetings with the Olympic Council of Ireland and the Athletics Association of Ireland in relation to their public disagreements during the Sydney Olympics. [21190/00]
I have asked the Irish Sports Council to carry out an in-depth review of the supports, programmes and schemes currently in place to establish what needs to be done in light of the Sydney 2000 experience to prepare for the games in Athens in 2004. I have asked that invitations issue to the 28 national governing bodies of sport affiliated to the Olympic movement, including the Athletics Association and the Olympic Council of Ireland, among others, to participate in the review. I hope all the bodies invited will be able to contribute constructively to the review and use the opportunity to air opinions, including any relating to differences which may have arisen in the course of Sydney 2000.
Prior to Sydney, I stated in the House, when responding to questions regarding the dispute between the Olympic Council of Ireland and the Athletic Association of Ireland about the gear to be worn by the athletic members of the Irish Olympic team, that such disputes do nothing to serve the cause of Irish sport. While it would be far preferable if such unseemly disputes did not arise, nevertheless, the responsibility for their resolution rests with the bodies concerned.
I consider it particularly unfortunate that these differences continued to be aired publicly in the lead up to the Sydney Games when all of the energies of the organisations in question should have been expended in the preparation of the Irish athletic team for the games. While I would be slow to say that the fall out from the dispute contributed to the eventual underperformance of our team, it certainly can have done nothing to help matters.
I would, therefore, strongly urge the Athletics Association and the Olympic Council of Ireland, in conjunction with the Irish Sports Council and in the context of the aforementioned review, to restore their working relationship, which, unfortunately, has been fractured for some time, to the more positive footing so necessary for the proper preparation of our team for future Olympic Games.
Will the Minister join with me in congratulating all the athletes who represented Ireland in Sydney? Will he also condemn the manner in which the athletes were used as pawns in a power game between the blazer brigades of different associations? Will he explain what the term "second rate athletes" means, given that he was reported as having used that terminology?
No, the president of the Olympic Council used that term.
If the Minister checks the newspapers, he will note he was reported as using that term. Will he take a proactive approach, as the Minister with responsibility for sport, to bring together these associations and remind them they are in receipt of taxpayers' money and have a responsibility to spend that money in a proper manner? Will he also tell them that he condemns, in the strongest possible manner, the public squabbling that went on in Sydney and here afterwards? Will he condemn the manner in which the athletes were once again used as hostages and scapegoats in a power game between the blazer brigades?
I join the Deputy in congratulating the athletes who participated in Sydney and I agree with many of his comments. I would, however, like him to retract his remark that I was the one responsible for calling any athlete a second class athlete. That term was used by the president of the Olympic Council. I was disappointed about the headline of the article to which the Deputy referred. I was quoted in the article as saying that "when I visited the Olympic village there was certainly no lack of commitment and certainly no lack of their sense of national pride". Given that I said that, I cannot understand how that article was given a headline that I was investigating an Olympic flop. I was appalled at the way our athletes were treated in Sydney. A number of Deputies have tabled questions on this issue and I will be able to reply to them shortly.
With regard to the unseemly squabbling reported by the media, I wish to clarify there is no squabbling between the Sports Council, Athletics Ireland, the national organisations of sport, the NCTC and me. We are on the one side and get on very well. There is a problem with the Olympic Council of Ireland, of which I am sure the Deputy is aware. No one seems to be able to manage to get on with that organisation, particularly given the attitude taken by its president. Until we are able to do something about this specific issue, the Olympic movement here, under its current leadership, will leave much to be desired. Despite the promises after the Atlanta Games that everything would be smoothed over for Sydney and that what happened in Atlanta would never happen again, I envisage similar promises will be made on this occasion. Unless something is done by the organisations of the Olympic movement here, I would be concerned about this ongoing situation in the lead up to the next games.
I referred to the headlines I read. I do not want to reflect on the Minister's attitude to our athletes. Will he agree that it seems everybody is out of step except our Paddy? Will he take the initiative and meet the federations under the umbrella of the Olympic Council to eliminate what is an ongoing cancer in Irish sport, which is seriously damaging the good name of Irish sport at home and abroad? Will he set himself the task of sorting out the internal problems of Olympic Council of Ireland?
The time allocated for this question has concluded. If the House is agreeable, I will allow the Minister time to respond to the Deputy's question.
That is agreeable.
There is something wrong in an organisation when one of it members decides that because he does not agree with others involved in the whole area of sport that he must punish them. The way our athletes were treated was outrageous and I agree with the Deputy they were used as pawns. The way they were treated compared to other sectors and personnel who were out in Sydney was outrageous.
The Deputy will be aware that the number of athletes we bring to the games determines the amount of accreditation that is brought to them. What happened in Sydney was an eye-opener to me. Many people, including coaches, deserved accreditation. Only four of our coaches were given accreditation to look after 36 athletes. That happened across all spheres of sport. The manner in which our Ambassador there was treated on a number of occasions was embarrassing. Given that athletics accounts for 50% of our participants in the games, it was embarrassing that the president of Athletics Ireland was not included in the group.
A number of other issues also arose. There is something wrong in an organisation when a member of it can use his power and influence to bring about such a debacle.
