Vol. 560 No. 2
10 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he intends to intervene or make representations to reverse Bord Fáilte's sponsorship of the Irish Open and put pressure on the GUI to move the event, in view of the continuing refusal of Portmarnock Golf Club to end its ban on women members, and in view of the fact that he is reported to have made a clear statement to the club calling for the lifting of the prohibition on female membership. [2135/03]
27 Ms Lynch asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has satisfied himself that the Irish Open Golf Championship is to be held in a golf club in July 2003 which does not admit female members; if Bord Fáilte is justified in sponsoring the event; if he has had contact with the organisers of the Irish Open in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2038/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 27 together.
The Irish Open is one of the major sporting events in Ireland. Its importance in tourism marketing can be gauged by the fact that it has a TV audience of about 200 million across 90 countries.
The international sports tourism initiative, administered by Bord Fáilte, is a successful strategy which involves exploiting the marketing opportunities presented by a number of major international sports events held in Ireland.
Under that Initiative, Bord Fáilte has, in recent years, invested in the considerable marketing opportunities provided by the Irish Open. Bord Fáilte pays for a package of promotional benefits to highlight Ireland and its tourism merits.
Following the termination of the relationship with its lead sponsor last year, the future of the Irish Open had been in some doubt but the European PGA Tour, with the encouragement of Bord Fáilte, managed to secure a lead sponsor and put together a financial package to preserve the event based partly on an indication from Bord Fáilte of its willingness to continue its marketing investment around the event. I should remind the House that it is the European Tour and not the Golfing Union of Ireland which is the key player in relation to this issue. The tour actually owns the event.
The tour decided to hold the 2003 Irish Open on the well known links course owned by Portmarnock Golf Club. The decision on the location was not made by myself, my Department or any agency under my aegis. In fairness to the club, it must be said that, without the last minute offer of its course, there could well have been no Irish Open this year.
I met representatives of Portmarnock Golf Club shortly before Christmas. I expressed my own personal preference that they would lift the rule on not allowing women to be members of their club. The representatives assured me they would not fail to apprise the members of my views. They are, however, firmly of the view that the club is a legitimate single-sex club and that its members have a clear right to exercise their constitutional freedom to associate. They also maintain that all non-members are treated in the same way in relation to access to the course.
I hardly need remind the House that freedom of association is one of the key rights in any free society. That freedom is recognised by the Constitution and in the Equal Status Act. The focus of the Act is on the supply of goods and services and not on the nature of an association.
To be fair to the club, it is true that there has been no legal ruling on the issue as to whether or not it is a "discriminating club" under the Equal Status Act although I understand that the Equality Authority is addressing the matter.
Ultimately, Ceann Comhairle, it is for the courts and not this House to make the judgment on these matters.
