Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Mar 2001

Vol. 532 No. 1

Priority Questions. - Olympic Games Performance.

Jimmy Deenihan

Question:

41 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the measures he will take to implement the recommendations of the Sydney review in order to improve the performance of the athletes in the Athens Olympic Games in 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6786/01]

Last October, I asked the Sports Council to undertake a review of Ireland's participation in the Sydney Olympics. The purpose of the review, which was carried out by a steering group appointed by the council, was to learn from the experiences of Sydney 2000 and to develop a strategy, based on the analysis of the factual information gathered during the review, for the preparations towards Athens 2004.

The final report is an invaluable and objective analysis of the Sydney experience, which will make an important contribution to our planning for future major events. I am grateful to both the steering group for the dedication and hard work it put in to ensure that the report was delivered to me within such a short space of time and to every organisation and to every individual who co-operated with the steering group. I fully accept the 29 recommendations of the report, the implementation of which can make a real difference to the athletes preparing for Athens 2004 and beyond. I have asked that everyone directly involved take on board these recommendations and work together, in a spirit of generosity and openness, to nurture, support and encourage our emerging and elite talent. No less is expected by Irish people, who treasure and value sport and who have come to expect that our athletes and teams perform to the very best of their abilities, at the highest level of Olympic and world sport.

It was the opinion of the steering group, and I fully endorse this, that the Irish Sports Council, as the body charged with the responsibility for the development of sport, is best placed to oversee the delivery of the strategies and outcomes of this report and to carry out discussions with the relevant national governing bodies and other interested parties. In this context, I understand the Sports Council has already made preparations for undertaking this process.

Additional InformationIt is my intention that we should benefit from the experience and that the lessons of Sydney 2000 are used to enhance our preparations for all future major events. In the meantime, I urge everybody to focus on the positive aspects of this review and the implementation of recommendations that will have a lasting and beneficial effect on Irish sport.

One of the recommendations of the review group was that top coaches be imported into Ireland to work with Olympic athletes, or alternatively, that Irish athletes be sent abroad to obtain this top level coaching. What steps have been taken to put this in place?

The review group also suggested that a review should be carried out on the functions of the NCTC by the Sports Council. When is this due to take place? What are the exact terms of the review, and who will carry it out?

The review recommended changes within the NCTC. I will await its recommendations which will be carried out by the Sports Council. The two will work in conjunction with one another and it will be the overall responsibility of the Minister to see that recommendations are carried out.

With regard to coaching, the report was barely with me when I met all the national organisations involved in Olympic sport. They indicated that funding was the main priority. In the budget we responded by doubling the funding of the Sports Council over the period. That funding was distributed to the national organisations and it is up to them to indicate their priorities. If we are to go by what they told me, funding was very much bound up with coaching and the lack of coaches and where athletes could be sent. It will be a matter for them where they direct the increased funding.

Olympic sports operate on a four year cycle and their grant aid should reflect this. Is there a plan in place that would enable sports organisations to know what funding they will have over the four year period, given that a similar scheme has just been announced to fund the Arts Council under a four year plan?

The review group also recommended that the OCI be given partnership funding to assist in developing a more professional approach in its operations. What steps has the Minister taken to implement this proposal?

Does the Minister agree that Government, OCI and NCTC policy should be athlete-centred and should not involve the type of turf war that has been going on for the past four years? It is the athletes who are important here and all the organisations and associations should support measures to help them rather than fighting a turf war that has done little good for Irish sport.

I will examine that matter. When I became Minister there was an ad hoc system in operation under which each national organisation applied for and was given funding according to what it had planned. I introduced a strategy whereby every supporting organisation had to submit a strategy plan by January so we would know the requirements of each organisation. That meant if a world championship were scheduled for a particular year it would be catered for, rather than being considered as an afterthought. This system, whereby an organisation submits a strategy plan in early January when it knows in advance about championships could lead to an overall four year plan. Perhaps there is some fine-tuning that could be done, but there is a strategy in place for each organisation which operates on a year to year basis and the organisations tend to know in advance their exact calls for the coming year.

With regard to the OCI, I will keep my part of the bargain. It has requested a meeting with me which I have arranged for Thursday.

Was it Liam Lawlor who requested that meeting?

I want to co-operate with the bodies in every way possible. By the way, the conflicts have not been going on for the past four years but for the past 12 years.

Top
Share