(Carlow-Kilkenny): I thank the Chair for allowing me raise this important matter. I am amazed that it will be responded to by the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Deputy O'Keeffe, who seems to be a Minister for all seasons and who responds to debates on everything from headage payments to hanging.
When Joe Connolly founded the Community Games it must have been beyond his wildest dreams that it would now cater for 500,000 children who come from every parish. He could not have envisaged the superb organisational skills of thousands of volunteers who took up the torch to help future international stars develop their potential and, more important, to help those less talented develop an interest in sporting activity which sustains them through life. That activity may not revolve around the routine sports of hurling, football and athletics but involves chess, draughts, clay modelling and choir singing. These activities have given a wonderful opportunity to people with talent.
Joe Connolly could not anticipate the failure to have this fantastic work recognised and rewarded by the State. The grant of £130,000 to the Community Games organisation represents a payment of 25p per child. Does this represent the value put on the unselfish work of thousands of volunteers at parish, county and national levels at great personal cost to themselves? How much money is collected by the State in VAT alone through sales of petrol and all types of sports equipment to those involved in the games? The motto of the Community Games is mens sana in corpore sano. In this age of drugs and crime what could be more apt?
It costs £53,000 to keep a prisoner in jail for one year according to figures supplied last week and £80,000 to keep a juvenile in Oberstown House. Since many re-offend, the cost to the Exchequer is great. This compares with £130,000 given to an organisation that caters for 500,000 juveniles throughout the country. There is something wrong when two juvenile offenders or three adult prisoners cost the State more than the Exchequer contributed to the Community Games.
Surely it is time to accept that prevention is better and cheaper than cure. Surely it is also time to say thanks to all those volunteers who give their time and money in helping others develop interests to sustain them through life. Is anything more important than giving young people an interest and keeping them occupied? It is time the Government said thanks in a very tangible way by giving an extra financial contribution to an organisation which does so much to help so many. We offend those unselfish, unpaid and sometimes unappreciated people at the risk of bringing so much community work to a halt, a situation we must avoid at all costs.
Last Sunday I attended our county Community Games finals and the press conference of the Leinster branch on Monday night, and I met people who are spending much of their own money and who are very unhappy with what is happening. I hope the Minister for all seasons will have good news for the organisation.
