Martin Ferris
Ceist:287 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will request the PGA to move the Irish Open to a different venue in view of the Portmarnock Club's ban on women members. [25403/02]
Written Answers. - Irish Open Golf Championship.
Neither I nor my Department had any function in deciding the location of the 2003 Irish Open. Neither did any agency under the aegis of my Department make the decision in relation to the location of this event. The Irish Open is a premier international golfing event. It is in the top rank of European PGA Tour events. The 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 worldwide television audience of the region of 200 million and is seen in 90 countries worldwide.
It is no secret that, since the termination of the relationship with its major sponsor last year, the future of the Irish Open had been in some doubt. Bord Fáilte has, in recent years, invested in the considerable tourism marketing opportunities provided by the Irish Open as part of a wider and successful strategy which involves exploiting the marketing opportunities presented by a number of major international sports events held in Ireland. Bord Fáilte pays for a package of promotional benefits, including television, to highlight Ireland and its tourism merits.
Bord Fáilte had indicated its willingness to continue its marketing investment around the Irish Open, if the European PGA Tour could put together a suitable financial package to preserve the event. The European Tour succeeded in doing this and secured a lead sponsor for the event. There is a very clear legal framework for dealing with the issue raised by the Deputy. I put that framework in place as Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform. I believe that the advent of that framework has been a contributing factor to a the current position where, I am informed, only two of the clubs affiliated to the Golfing Union of Ireland, are now male-only clubs.