Vol. 574 No. 4
81 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will enter into discussions with the community games organisation to assist in its efforts to acquire a permanent home for the national annual games; if his attention has been drawn to the tremendous value to the community at large of the community games; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27386/03]
I wish to make it clear that the responsibility for providing a permanent home for any organisation rests with the organisation itself. As the Deputy may be aware, however, I have met representatives of the national community games on a number of occasions to discuss with them their ideas about securing a permanent location for holding the finals of the national community games in the future. In the course of these discussions a number of possibilities were mentioned and I understand that consideration of these options by the organisation is continuing. I remain available to support these efforts in whatever way I can. I will meet representatives of the organisation tomorrow.
As the Deputy will also be aware, the organisation has held its annual games at Mosney holiday camp in County Meath. When I was Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform I facilitated arrangements for the continued use of Mosney camp for the national finals in 2002. The finals were held there again this year and I witnessed at first hand the widespread support and enthusiasm which the games engender. I am informed that the Reception and Integration Agency, which has entered into an agreement with the owner of Mosney holiday centre for the accommodation of asylum seekers, is prepared to make every effort to facilitate the continued holding of the community games at Mosney and I welcome this decision.
I acknowledge that the ESB national community games promotes and encourages sport and activity among young people in Ireland and is a very important element of sport development in Ireland. Up to 500,000 children participate in events each year. The organisation encourages participation and involvement in different sports and activities. This is its 36th year of existence and it has been responsible for introducing thousands of young Irish people to sport.
The Irish Sports Council has been very supportive of the community games and has allocated funding totalling €500,000 over the past two years. However, these funds are for the continued development of their sports.
I am pleased to note that the Minister will meet representatives of the community games tomorrow. Mosney has always been the home for the community games. Does the Minister agree that the fact that the Government has a lease on the facility makes Mosney the ideal place for the further development of the community games, not alone for the three weekends of the finals but as a home for the ongoing process of developing the community games throughout the year?
Will the Minister investigate, with the community games organisation, the possibility of developing Mosney as the permanent home of the games? Representatives of the organisation have assured me that if the games are moved from Mosney they would become fragmented and would lose the impetus they have gained over many years. That would be detrimental to an event which is enjoyed by many children and which is working well. We should ensure that every effort is made to continue the lease on Mosney and to develop the camp as a permanent home for the community games and for community involvement.
Were it not for the efforts of the Reception and Integration Agency and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the games would have left Mosney by now. I acknowledge the role of the agency and its director in ensuring the continuance of the games at Mosney. It is desirable that the games continue at Mosney, an ideal location for them. Difficulties have arisen in relation to leasing arrangements at Mosney. It is difficult at this remove to envisage a better location. It is also difficult to envisage how funding could be put in place to provide an alternative location. It would not be possible to make a large capital sum available from my Department, for example, because funding of that nature is not available in the Estimates and is unlikely to be available in the future.
I will meet the community games organisers again tomorrow to discuss how we might progress this matter. I agree with Deputy Wall that the ideal solution would be the continuance of the games at Mosney and I will seek, in tandem with the representatives of the community games, to progress this proposal and encourage it in every way I can.
