I move amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:
"welcomes the level of funding provided by the Government to the Olympic Council of Ireland during the current Olympic cycle and notes the assistance, both financial and through the provision of facilities, being made available to assist Ireland's outstanding sportspersons".
I am very pleased to have this opportunity of speaking on this motion on the funding for the Olympic Council of Ireland. In response to the points made by Deputy Deenihan, I want to put before the House the accurate position regarding the level of funding for the Olympic Council, which has been the subject of severe and unfair criticism for quite some time.
At the outset, let me state that both myself and my Department have a very good relationship with the Olympic Council of Ireland. Since my appointment as Minister of State at the Department of Education with responsibility for Sport, in February last, I have met the Olympic Council of Ireland on two occasions to discuss a wide range of issues, including the level of Government funding for the council. It is my intention to develop further the already excellent working arrangements which exist between the Olympic Council and my Department.
Government policy on sport is based on the following premises: first, it is considered that participation in sporting and active leisure pursuits promotes good health and enhances the quality of life to the benefit of the individual and the community; second, it has an educational role in contributing to the development of leadership and social skills in individuals. Among the good influences of involvement in sport and leisure activities are a feeling of well being, a means of occuping spare time, in addition to providing skills, motivation and self-confidence to seek opportunities for both gainful employment and voluntary service; third, it has a capacity to promote increased economic activity both within the community and from increased tourism; and fourth, meritorious performances by Irish sportspersons in international arenas increase the country's prestige and image among the community of nations, and participation in sport can act as an antidote to vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
Sport policy is aimed at increasing these benefits by raising standards of performance generally and in particular, the standards of our elite sportspersons at international level and by increasing participation in sport and leisure activities.
The aims of policy in the elite sport area are to allow the full development of talent, to provide a sporting spectacle for the public, to allow countries to communicate through the vehicle of elite sport, to demonstrate the strength of sport as a way of life, to promote a base for elite sport, to provide a motivation for healthy objectives, to allow talent to develop and to occupy young people in play activity with health and ethical objectives.
Ireland has a very proud tradition in the world of elite international sport. Immediately, we think of the successes of the Irish soccer team, of Seán Kelly and Stephen Roche, the achievements of our professional and amateur golfers and the performances of our athletes, rowers and canoeists. In the Olympic field, although our level of success in recent Olympiads has been low we have won 14 Olympic medals. These successes have been hard earned through the dedication of the individuals involved and the assistance and support provided by the respective sporting organisations which are supported by the Government.
In pursuance of the policy on elite sport, grants are paid annually to the national governing bodies of sport from the proceeds of the national lottery for expenditure in the following areas: assistance for the employment of development officers by six organisations; assistance to meet the cost of administrators and coaches by 30 governing bodies; grants to purchase specialist equipment; grants to meet costs associated with exchange schemes with France, Germany and Italy and grants to meet the costs of attending or hosting major international events.
In 1989 the House of Sport was established in Walkinstown. It acts as a headquarters for 12 governing bodies of sport and has been equipped with modern office equipment and modern technology. In 1992 the level of funding for these programmes will be in excess of £2.9 million.
In the case of the Olympic Council of Ireland, my Department provide an annual grant to the council to assist with meeting the costs of the international programme of the 24 sporting organisations which are affiliated to the Olympic Council and to help defray the costs of other initiatives undertaken by the Olympic Council which are aimed at increasing standards. I should add that each of these organisations is also in receipt of funding from my Department under the general grants scheme for national governing bodies of sport.
To give a full picture of the level of funding allocated specifically for the Olympic Council of Ireland, I wish to put the following facts before the House. In the four year Olympic cycle from 1985 to 1988 the total amount of funding awarded to the Olympic Council of Ireland for the preparation and training of athletes for the Seoul Olympics was £1,390,000.
In the current four year Olympic cycle, from 1989 to 1992, the level of funding has increased by 62.5 per cent to £2,222,000. The individual annual allocations are as follows, and I think I should refer back to the period referred to by Deputy Barrett when the then Coalition Government were in office from 1983 to 1986: in 1983 the figure allocated was £125,000; in 1984, £240,000; in 1985, £240,000 and in 1986, £275,000. The Government changed in 1987 and the figure was increased from £275,000 to £375,000. In 1988 the figure was £500,000; in 1989, £450,000; in 1990, £505,000; in 1991, £567,000 and in 1992, £700,000.
I have referred to 1988 which was Olympic year, when a grant of £500,000 was allocated by my Department, whereas in this Olympic year a grant of £700,000 has been allocated and already paid. This allocation is an increase of 23 per cent on the 1991 allocation of £567,000. I am certain that all fair-minded sports people will agree that there have been substantial increases in the level of funding being made available to the OCI. I must state, however, the expression of gratitude from spokespersons of the Olympic Council of Ireland has been muted. Indeed, the public could be forgiven for being misled as regards the true position of Government funding levels. Equally, I am sure that many people would find it strange that the Olympic Council should state quite categorically that no representative of the Government would be welcome at a function to welcome home any successful Olympic sportsperson.
One of the conditions governing my
Department's scheme of assistance for sporting organisations is a requirement that organisations should raise up to 50 per cent of the annual income through fund-raising and sponsorship. While I have not been provided with any information in relation to the sponsorship or other income of the Olympic Council, I am confident that, particularly in Olympic year, there are opportunities for the attraction of substantial sponsorship from non-governmental sources.
We all are aware of the many commercial sponsorship arrangements which are operating at the moment in support of the Olympic Council's preparation for the games. I understand that there are up to 11 companies involved in such sponsorship which must be yielding generous amounts of money. I referred earlier to the allocation of £700,000 to the OCI for 1992 by the Government. In a recent submission from the Olympic Council it was stated that the council expected to expend £900,000 on the programmes for the Olympics. I venture to state that it should not be too difficult to meet the balance of £200,000 through sponsorship and other income. Indeed, it would hardly be considered desirable for an independent autonomous body like the OCI, who publicly state their independence from the Government, to be in a position where the Government were the sole provider of funding for their operation and I am sure that the OCI would not wish this is to be the situation.
In addition to the grants to the national sporting organisations and the OCI my Department are also involved in funding a number of other programmes which have a direct benefit for our Olympic team. In the four years since the last Olympic Games in Seoul, grants in excess of £300,000 have been paid out to individual athletes who are affiliated to the Olympic sports. Under the scheme grants are awarded to individual sports persons to enable them to undertake training and competition at the highest level and to compete with distinction at international events and to assist outstanding junior sports persons who have achieved a standard of national significance in their particular sport to undertake specialised training and compete in international competitions. Let me say that athletes are training full time with assistance from the outstanding sports persons' grant scheme. Garry O'Toole, Liam Wylie, Michael Corcoran and Niall O'Toole are examples. Wayne McCullagh has benefited substantially also from the outstanding sports person's grant scheme.
These grants, which range from £1,000 to £5,000 per individual sports person per annum, are of tremendous benefit to the individual sports persons who have benefited and in fact a number of them have taken the trouble to write to my Department outlining the benefits of the scheme.
In April of this year I opened the national coaching and training centre at the University of Limerick which has as it twin aims the introduction of a coach education programme and the provision of facilities, both of a physical and physiological nature, to enable our top sports persons to train in the most modern facilities with an excellent medical back-up. This facility, which is being used extensively by elite sports persons, will play a major role in the preparation of our athletes for international competitions. In particular, I am very pleased that Bord Lúthchleas na h-Éireann have decided to use this excellent centre for some of their pre-Olympic training and I would encourage other sporting organisations to do likewise.
Throughout the country there have been many new facilities provided which, while they cater for the local needs, also provide a good training facility for the elite sports persons. For example, in the past four year many new facilities have been provided. The type of facility I am referring to includes athletic facilities at Waterford, Limerick, Dundalk, Kilkenny, Donegal and Dublin together with the provision of the country's first indoor synthetic athletic facility at Nenagh. Further funds are being provided for the provision and upgrading of athletic tracks at Galway, Tullamore, Monaghan and Santry Stadium, Dublin.
Work can start on all of these projects in 1992 provided that the technical difficulties which have delayed them can be overcome. This major expansion of our stock of athletic facilities I am sure will provide a basis for the continued growth and enhanced performance of athletics in the country. A total of £5.25 million has been provided for the development of athletic facilities throughout the country.
In addition to funds being provided to local communities for the provision of multi-purpose sports halls, funds have also been provided to national governing bodies of sport for the improvement of their specialist facilities. These include the boxing stadium, Dublin, badminton centre, Baldoyle and the national basketball centre, Tallaght, which is currently under construction. It is my intention to continue to provide and improve the specialist sport facilities for our national governing bodies of sport. Swimming pools are being planned or improved at Sligo, Cork, Tralee and Carrick-on-Suir at a cost of £3.55 million.
Although great strides have been made in recent years in the provision of funding for the sporting organisations and in the provision of a range of sporting facilities much remains to be done.
Deputy Deenihan in his opening remarks made great efforts to make political capital out of the decision of the Government not to proceed with the proposed national sports centre at the Custom House Docks site. That has been the subject of parliamentary questions tabled by Deputy Deenihan on many occasions. Circumstances have changed in a number of relevant ways since the feasibility study, on which this project was based, was carried out. The changed circumstances include, (a) the development of conference facilities at a number of locations throughout the city; (b) the emergence of the Point Depot with a seating capacity for 9,000 persons as a pop concert venue; (c) the provision of a new badminton centre at Baldoyle under the regional programme; (d) the refurbishment of the National Boxing Stadium which has a 2,000 seating capacity; (e) the inclusion of a national basketball stadium in Tymon, Tallaght, in the regional programme, with a capacity for 3,500 persons, catering for all major basketball events and providing facilities for other games such as volleyball, badminton and gymnastics — work commenced on this project with a completion date of Deccember 1992 — and (f) the development of the House of Sport facility in Walkinstown, to which I referred, which acts as a headquarters for 13 national sporting organisations.
I ask Deputy Deenihan to tell the House the major sporting events which are lost to Ireland because the project he referred to will not now go ahead. The Government decided that the centre would not go ahead as envisaged at that time. This is not to suggest that the proposal cannot be reactivated at a future date. When I replied to questions on this issue I was consistent in what I said.
Deputy Seán Barrett referred to the moneys available for sport. I agree that any Member who has been involved in sport would say that there is never enough money available for sport. However, we must compare like with like. At the time the previous Government took the decision that 55 per cent of the proceeds from the national lottery should go to sport the estimated proceeds from the national lottery was approximately £10 million. On this basis the 55 per cent proceeds for sport would represent £5.5 million. The provision made by my Department in 1992 for sport is £5.35 million for current expenditure and an additional £4.5 million for capital expenditure, a total of £9.89 million.
I admit that one of the major deficiencies is the absence of a 50 metre swimming pool complex which in addition to providing a modern facility to host international competitions would also enable our international swimmers to train at home. I am perfectly committed to the provision of such a facility and I am at present considering a number of proposals for its provision. In an effort to alleviate the disadvantage of the elite swimmers having to travel abroad for 50 metre pool training my Depart ment have provided special grants to the Irish Amateur Swimming Association to help defray the costs of attendance at such facilities abroad. I realise that the association are very anxious that progress be made on this facility and I would like to assure them I am confident that in the not too distant future it will no longer be necessary for Irish swimmers to travel abroad for 50 metre pool training. At this point I wish to compliment the swimmers who are ranked highly in the world rankings on their achievements which have been attained despite the absence of a 50 metre pool in Ireland.
On an occasion such as this I must state that I have been concerned with the uneasy relationships which exists between the Olympic Council of Ireland and some of their affiliated sporting organisation members at present. I urge all those involved in the controversy to remember that it is not the Olympic Council of Ireland, the national governing bodies of sport or the Government who are important but rather the sportspersons who have made many sacrifices to pursue their very severe training and competition schedules over the years to attain the distinction of representing their country at the highest international level.
The Irish people expect the controlling interests within the Olympic Council of Ireland and the individual sports to continue to show maturity and leadership in their deliberations and to act in a fair and just manner to provide unified support for our Olympic hopefuls and to ensure that public controversy does not damage the sportsperson in his or her preparation for the games. We would be better off without much of the recent publicity in this respect.
I am saddened at the recent controversy between the Tánaiste and the Olympic Council of Ireland. I am also disappointed that Deputy Deenihan, an outstanding sportsperson, like the Tánaiste, found it necessary to criticise the Tánaiste tonight. It is the right of a member of the Government or any Member of the Oireachtas to make an inquiry or representations in relation to the composition of the team for the Olympics. The manner in which the OCI reacted to the inquiry from the Tánaiste, and the public exposure of what was a private approach to the OCI on a sensitive issue, is to be frowned upon. It is ironic that a body, who are prepared to use the political lobby very extensively, when it is advantageous to do so, would react in such a fashion to a telephone call from a member of the Government.
I wish to state categorically that the Government do not want to be involved in the selection of the Olympic team, but surely they have the right to make inquiries or representations in relation to matters which are of such public interest. This right has been accepted by successive Governments.
On the question of funding for the Olympic Council of Ireland for the forthcoming Olympic cycle leading up to the Games in Atlanta, it is my intention to meet with the OCI following the Barcelona Games to review the performance of the Irish team and to look ahead and examine the prospects for 1996.
When the OCI have prepared a submission which clearly identifies their intentions and requirements for each of the sports involved, which demonstrates a coherent and planned approach in the build-up to Atlanta in 1996, citing clearly the objectives to be achieved during the four-year cycle, the indicators of development that can be expected and the financial input required both from the Government and private sources, the question of funding for the council can then be considered. I stress that the Government will be earnestly endeavouring to provide significant support to the OCI having regard to the available finances at the time.
In conclusion, I wish every member of the Irish Olympic team every success in their quest for success at this summer's Olympic Games. The Irish, who are a great sporting nation, love to see sportspersons in the green singlets compete with distinction in what is the greatest sporting festival in the world. Whether they win gold, silver or bronze the fact that they have reached the high standards set for qualification for the Olympics is a very significant achievement and we all support them in their endeavours. I compliment and thank the Olympic Council of Ireland, and the individual governing bodies of sport, on their dedication and commitment to the development of sport in Ireland.
The information which I have provided tonight shows that the Government are committed to the provision of funds to the Olympic Council of Ireland and the individual sporting organisations to assist them with their efforts to ensure that the disadvantages under which some of sportspersons compete are being reduced quickly. I know that there are other initiatives we need to take but I hold the view that substantial progress has been made in recent times. I assure the House that it is my intention to further that aim while I am in office. I recommend to the House the Government's amendment.