Vol. 526 No. 2
6 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the matters discussed and the conclusions reached at his meeting on 8 November 2000 with the Olympic Council of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25944/00]
17 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if, following the Sydney Olympics, he will make changes in the organisation of sport here with particular reference to the need to provide adequate training, coaching and the possibility of a national training centre with a view to maximising Ireland's impact on future Olympics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26081/00]
33 Mr. L. Burke asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he has recently met the Olympic Council of Ireland to discuss the Sydney Olympics and future strategy for the Athens Olympics. [25907/00]
35 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the terms of reference of the review he has established to look at the way forward for sport having regard to the performances at the Sydney Olympics; the way in which the review will be conducted; when it is likely to be concluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25945/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 17, 33 and 35 together.
As I have already indicated in response to another Parliamentary Question today, my purpose in asking the Irish Sports Council to review our participation in the 2000 Olympic Games, is to examine in depth how Ireland went about preparing for, selecting and managing our national participation in Sydney, and the lessons we can learn for Athens 2004.
The terms of reference I set for the review are designed for this purpose. Specifically, I have asked the Irish Sports Council, following consultation with the relevant bodies and individuals involved, to examine the performance of the key players and their role in the preparation, support and selection of Ireland's team in the 2000 Games, consider the appropriateness and effectiveness of the procedures, arrangements and schemes which applied to the preparation, support and selection of the team, the relationships between the many agencies involved in the prep aration and participation of the team and these aspects to be assessed against international comparators, identify the particular factors which contributed to, or impacted on, the team's performance in Sydney, and report to me on its review, conclusions and recommendations before 31 January 2001.
I have also asked the council, in the light of the review, to recommend a strategy for achieving a significant improvement in the number of national records, finalists and medalists at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, including any changes that would have to take place in relation to critical issues identified under the review. In conducting the review, the council will meet all the key players involved, and invite them to provide written reports.
As part of this process I recently participated in a meeting with representatives of all the NGBs represented at the Sydney Games where I heard reports by each of the bodies on their experience of the Sydney Games and the factors that impacted on their performance there. I also had a separate meeting with the president and officials of the Olympic Council of Ireland and, as I have already said in reply to an earlier question today, I very much appreciate the Olympic Council's involvement in the review and its contribution to that meeting which will feed into the overall process.
One of the key players in our preparation for the Sydney Olympics was the National Coaching and Training Centre in Limerick. As the House is aware, the NCTC was established to provide specialised training for elite sports persons through a system of structured coaching, a comprehensive sports science programme and optimal training facilities, as well as to assist in raising the standard of coaching and the training of coaches. As a key player, the NCTC's role will, of course, be examined under the review. In addition, the centre will, no doubt, have a major and significant contribution to make to the overall task of the review.
Will the Minister agree that the position whereby the Olympic Council of Ireland received £100,000 in administration grants and £13,000 in grants for inspection visits to Sydney in 1999 and £120,000 in administration grants and £20,000 in grants for inspection visits in 2000 is questionable in the context of the £600,000 reserves of the council? Is the fact that it appears the Olympic Council of Ireland is not a body that conducts its business at the highest level in a democratic fashion not another matter of major concern? These issues are most disturbing as regards the use of taxpayers' money.
I met the OCI and it was not an easy meeting. It was tough, frank and to the point. It lasted over one and a half hours. During the meeting I raised the points mentioned by the Deputy. I asked about accountability, the selec tion of the teams, management of the team, the continuing care of the athletes, for example, medical care, during the games and questioned it on the democracy of the Olympic committee. I raised the voting issues and the selection process of the president and sought answers to all these questions. In fairness to the council it has agreed to come into the review. There is a process within the members of the Olympic family or council for the 28 governing bodies to bring about change.
I remind the Minister of the time limit.
I raised the matter of democracy and it put up a robust defence of the procedures that are in place. It agreed there were areas that could be looked at, particularly the care of the team and other aspects. There is a good deal of funding given to it. Every organisation brings in a strategy plan in January and the council looks at it. Based on those plans they are allocated—
I again remind the Minister of the one minute limit.
When I hear the Minister talk of the family I always think of the Mafia but this is a different matter. Did the Minister raise with the council the public squabbling that took place and the manner in which the good name of Irish sport was again dragged through the mud in Sydney in a repeat of what happened in Atlanta? Did he raise the very public criticism of himself and his office, the Sports Council and its chief executive, the National Coaching and Training Centre and its role and contribution towards the development and preparation of the team?
Is the Minister aware that the Oireachtas Committee on Tourism and Sport, of which Deputy Moynihan-Cronin is Chairperson, invited Mr. Hickey to appear before it and he effectively refused to do so? He declined the offer to come before the committee to discuss some of these issues and in a very arrogant way said he had to do his own internal business and discuss matters with team managers before he would appear before any committee.
The Deputy has exceeded his time.
In view of the fact that this organisation is in receipt of so much taxpayers' money will the Minister bite the bullet and tell these people they are not a law onto themselves, that they are in receipt of taxpayers' money and if they will not come before Oireachtas committees their funding will be terminated? I ask that family to get its act together and sort itself out at the highest level.
The first point I made to the Olympic Council was that I appreciated there was no public squabble during the Olympics. We did not have any altercation while the team was in Sydney.
That is not a criticism of the Minister.
I was at a number of functions with the president and members of the Olympic Council. However, I pointed out that I would not turn a blind eye to what went on in Sydney and, therefore, I had this meeting afterwards. I raised the issues the Deputy mentioned. He is correct is saying that I do not have a problem with the NCTC, the Sports Council or the national governing bodies of sport. Although we may have differences regarding funding, we get on very well, as I am sure was the case during the Deputy's term of office, in the interests of Irish sport. There was a difficulty with this body in the past.
I am aware the select committee has asked the president to appear before it. He has indicated he will send a copy of the report of its review to the committee. That is a matter for it. I would encourage him to come before the committee. Leaders of organisations and public representatives are accountable and the president and Olympic Council is also accountable. As the Deputy stated, a large amount of public funding goes to the Olympic Council and, while I cannot be in any way threatening regarding the council until I see the report, nonetheless we all agree there must be accountability.
I, too, was disappointed with the reply I received from the president and I hope he will reconsider. The president recently accused the Sports Council of leaving the OCI short of grant aid to the tune of £250,000. What was this application for and when was it made?
It was part of the OCI strategy for this Olympic year and outlined in detail specific matters that were required. It was gone into in great detail by the Sports Council. An additional £250,000 was sought by the Olympic committee. Taking into consideration the resources of the Olympic council and the fact that the Exchequer provides all the costs of training facilities, accommodation, pre-site training sessions and the costs of people going out to view where the team will be accommodated and the training centres available to them, the Sports Council felt there was no real necessity for the additional funding.
Ireland's impact on future Olympics is threatened by the reports since the Olympics. I am disappointed the president of the OCI will not come before the select committee, because the perception of the OCI has far-reaching implications. He is waiting for 11 reports before he will give a final report. It is not good enough that he will submit a copy rather than coming in person. The Olympics ended a number of months ago and the reports should be done by now. It is disap pointing that this type of behaviour is going on in a small country. The Minister is the boss with responsibility for disbursing funds. It is time to get tough with these people who must account for the money given to them. I expect the Minister to get the proper reaction from them.
As Minister, I am responsible for policy. However, I hope there is no political interference in the operation of each national organisation. It is a matter for the members of each national organisation to decide how to conduct their business. We cannot tell them what to do. I hope they are all democratically elected. I have made it clear that I have some problems with the way the committee is made up and with the election process. They have agreed to participate in the review and I hope they continue to participate in it. I can only wait to see what the conclusions of that review will be before I meet them again or the president appears before the select committee.
Has the Minister asked the president of the Olympic Council of Ireland about the number of accreditations under his control, how they were distributed and who received them? That matter had a considerable impact on the atmosphere prior to the games. Does the Minister know what happened to the accreditations?
I raised the question of accreditation, which was a problem before the games began, and the council stated that would be part of the review. It also made a robust defence of it. I understand a sub-committee of the select committee will meet athletes who were directly involved in the Olympics. One of the problems is that there are not enough people with experience of the Olympics directly involved. That must be addressed. The accreditation process is important. Coaches are one of the most important groups at the Olympics. On the day of a major event an athlete is closer to his coach than to his mother, father, brother or sister. Most of the athletes agree there is a great dependency on coaches. We must address the issue of who should get accreditation, who were accredited and how the system can be improved.
Are there rules and regulations governing the making of grants by the Irish Sports Council which demand that organisations which benefit from grants must be democratically operated? If, in view of the information in the media yesterday and the Minister's examination of it, this organisation is not democratically composed, what action will he take?
As I pointed out during my meeting with the Olympic Council of Ireland, the statutory bodies now in place, such as the national coaching and training centre and the Irish Sports Council, will remain in place, as we agreed in the House. They have the authority to make such decisions. I will not make decisions about funding. It is up to the statutory bodies which have been established by this House to do so.
Are they bound by regulation to make grant aid available only to organisations which are clearly and demonstrably democratic in their composition?
They are not bound by regulation but they have the power to use grant aid. We do not and should not tell organisations how they should be run. However, if the Irish Sports Council is not satisfied that the taxpayers' money is being spent in a manner in which it should, it has the authority to withhold funding.
We must proceed as we have gone over the time limit. I call Question No. 7.
Will the Minister agree to give a policy directive to statutory bodies to deal with democratic bodies only in terms of finance?
Yes.
If the president of the OCI continues to refuse to appear before the Select Committee on Tourism, Sport and Recreation, will the Minister withdraw funding until he appears?
Funding will be a matter for the Irish Sports Council. All of us, regardless of the organisation, are accountable for Exchequer funding.
