I convey my thanks to the Leas-Cathaoirleach and Members of Seanad Éireann for the opportunity to take part in this discussion on Irish sports policy and on the issues currently impacting on sport here.
The fact that this debate is taking place is entirely appropriate and timely as we look back on the Olympic Games in Sydney and set about reviewing the supports, programmes and schemes currently in place with the assistance of funding from the State. Mention of the Sydney Games prompts me to draw attention to the fact that the Paralympics are getting under way in Sydney and another dedicated team of Irish competitors will be setting about their challenge of meeting and competing with the cream of the world's elite.
Given certain ill-informed comment in the national press recently, I take this opportunity to record the fact that over the past three years the Paralympic Council and the national governing bodies of sport catering specifically for paralympic athletes have been grant-aided to the tune of £1,031,000. To help cater for special expenditure arising from the Sydney Games, the grant to those governing bodies this year was just under £483,000. Given that the funding provided fully covered the cost of sending the Irish paralympic team to Syd ney, this is the first time in the history of the Paralympics that those involved in the Paralympics did not have to fund-raise to cover the cost of sending a team to the games. That point was covered in a recent letter I received from the secretary of the Paralympics Association. She thanked the Government and the Irish Sports Council for the fact that this was the first time they did not have to fund-raise to cover the cost of travel to the Paralympics in Sydney.
I am sure Members of Seanad Éireann will join me in placing on record our admiration and respect for all of those involved with Irish paralympic sports – the athletes, coaches, mentors and management – who have such a proud record of dedication, commitment and achievement at the highest level of world competition. Accordingly, I take this opportunity to wish our team every success and enjoyment in Sydney. The Minister of State at my Department, Deputy Eoin Ryan, will represent the Government at the games and there were no difficulties about the accreditation sought from the Paralympic Council. I cannot fathom how reporters, such as one who wrote the article I have here, can write such rubbish in our newspapers, non-factual rubbish, without telling people the facts of the matter.
It strikes me as appropriate that at a time when an unprecedented level of funding is going into sport, with great advances in services, facilities and the support of national governing bodies of sport and of our top athletes, there is so much public comment and expressions of disappointment arising out of our team's participation in the Sydney Olympic Games.
The Government signalled its commitment to the development of sport and recreation. Through the dramatically increased level of funding allocated and the new structures and quality of services introduced during the past few years, sport is now an important sector in the realm of Government business.
In the period since this Government came into office, the development of sport has undergone dramatic changes. For example, the grants scheme for national governing bodies has been rationalised, simplified and redesigned to facilitate greater planning by those bodies to develop and promote their respective sports. A number of major improvements have also been made to the international carding scheme, which supports our top elite and developing competitors. Additionally, the Government has completed a comprehensive review of the sports capital programme.
Members will be aware that funding for sport and recreation generally has risen from £13.5 million in 1997 when this Government came into office to over £51 million this year. This increase in funding, taken together with a determination to continue to improve and extend the Irish sports infrastructure and the policies and services available to sports organisations and participants, has resulted in some significant developments in recent times.
When the Irish Sports Council was set up a little more than a year ago, my main aim was to secure a more focused and strategic approach to the promotion and development of Irish sport. In the legislation establishing the council, I envisaged an organisation that would have a positive impact right across the sporting spectrum from our elite sports people, who must be given every opportunity to develop and reach their potential, to the person who wants to take part in sport for recreation, enjoyment and socialisation purposes.
The council recently launched its strategy, A New Era for Sport, which sets out clearly its vision for sport and how it proposes to deliver on that vision. The strategy reflects my wishes in this regard.
The need to break down barriers and increase participation in sport, not only in terms of the number of people becoming involved but also in terms of continued participation throughout their lives, is central to our policy. By concentrating efforts on increasing participation in sport, we can help ensure that a life long involvement in sport is maintained in our society. The more people participate the greater the chance of excellence emerging. The better the achievement of our top sports people, the more people will be inspired to emulate them.
It is recognised at community level that there is a need for a multi-agency approach to promote sport and participation. With a co-ordinated approach, resources can be channelled into optimising participation in local communities with significant social and economic benefits to communities. As Members will be aware, the Government and the social partners made a strong commitment in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness to support local sports partnership as a means of creating sustainable sports development infrastructure at local level.
Accordingly, I welcome the proposed establishment of local sports partnerships, as provided for in the Sports Council's statement of strategy, as being an incentive to local communities to participate in sport on a regular basis for competition, enjoyment or health reasons. These partnerships will promote local ownership by devolving the power of decision-making to the local level. This focus on local sport will impact on sports standards and develop excellence within sport. The local sports partnerships will also enhance the work of our many volunteers by giving them access to training and other supports, thereby enhancing their efforts on behalf of people in their community.
Speaking of volunteers, I once again thank those thousands of volunteers, teachers, coaches, leaders and instructors who contribute countless hours to ensure that people have the opportunity to participate in sport. Active participation in sport, whether at a competitive or recreational level, contributes greatly to the health and well being of the individual and society as a whole and if sport is to develop within Ireland, it must be fostered at a local level within all communities.
I have frequently stated that it is imperative that we retain the traditional spirit and values of sport, such as dedication and fair play. Taking drugs in order to enhance sporting abilities is contrary to the values and principles of sport and last year I launched Ireland's first ever national anti-doping programme. I am extremely pleased with the progress that the Irish sport anti-doping programme has made under the Sports Council.
In terms of sports infrastructure it is a fundamental component of the Government's sports policy that Ireland should have a network of high quality, well designed and well managed facilities throughout the country. These facilities should be available to meet the needs of competitive sport, competition, training and coaching. Facilities should also be accessible to the individuals and groups who wish to participate at the level of recreational sport, fun and socialisation. To this end, capital funding for the provision of sports and recreational facilities has been increased by over 350% since this Government took office. This increase has enabled my Department to treble the funding under the sports capital programme and to quadruple the provision for the local swimming pool programme, to provide money for the development of Ireland's first 50 metre pool in Limerick to be opened next year – another is planned for Sports Campus Ireland – to provide for £20 million towards the development of Croke Park, to upgrade and enhance major athletics facilities in Navan, Cork, Nenagh, Galway and Castleisland, to provide £4.8 million for the new state of the art indoor athletics facility being planned for Morton Stadium, Santry, to assist the improvements to GAA county grounds and League of Ireland soccer grounds around the country and, this year alone, to assist nearly 700 local clubs and organisations to provide new or improved facilities, with £36 million being allocated.
In addition, the planned facilities at Stadium Campus Ireland will add to the greatly enhanced range of sophisticated, high quality facilities now available in Ireland. I trust Senators will agree that there is now under way an ambitious programme of State assisted expansion in a wide range of sports and recreational amenities, catering for both the elite participant and the general public, right across the country.
Under the national development plan, financial assistance amounting to £85 million will be available over the seven years of the plan to support the development of community sports and recreational facilities in centres to be identified in the national spatial strategy being undertaken by the Department of the Environment and Local Government. In due course, proposals will be sought from local authorities and, where appropriate, voluntary and community organisations, for the provision or upgrading of sports and recreational facilities in the target areas.
There has been considerable expansion in terms of the direct funding of sport, the provision of sustainable, appropriate infrastructure and an enhanced range and quality of supports for national governing bodies of sport and individual top athletes. It is against this background and the under-performance of some of Ireland's competitors in Sydney that this timely debate is taking place.
It may interest Senators to learn that the total amount in grants awarded in 1995 under the then outstanding sportspersons grants scheme amounted to just £150,000. This scheme has been radically overhauled in recent years and in 1998, funding provided under the international carding scheme was £964,365 and this rose to £1,121,866 in 1999 and to £1,199,684 in this Olympic year.
The National Coaching and Training Centre in Limerick receives funding for the development and enhancement of coaching in Ireland as well as for the provision of physiological, scientific, medical and other related services for elite individual competitors and squads. To enable it to provide these services for national governing bodies and elite sports people, over £2.64 million was allocated to the centre between 1995 and 1999. In addition, the national governing bodies of sport received almost £4.7 million in the three years 1998, 1999 and 2000 specifically towards their international training and competition programmes. Canoeing, rowing and sailing received additional special grants for top level elite coaching amounting to £160,000 between 1999 and 2000.
I have publicly congratulated the members of the Irish team in Sydney. Sonia O'Sullivan was magnificent in winning the 5,000 metres silver medal and there were many other fine performances by our team, including the setting of new Irish records and the achievement of personal best performances. I have already asked the Irish Sports Council to carry out an in-depth review of our preparation for and participation in the Sydney Olympics and the supports, programmes and schemes currently in place. This review will focus also on the relationships that should exist between the many agencies involved in the preparation and participation of the team. It is intended that the review will include the National Coaching and Training Centre, the 28 national governing bodies of sport affiliated to the Olympic movement, the Olympic Council of Ireland, coaches and competitors, all of whom will be asked to contribute on the basis of their expertise and experience of these and previous Olympics.
I hope that all the bodies invited will be able to contribute constructively to the review and to use the opportunity to air opinions, including any relating to differences which may have arisen in the build-up to or in the course of the Olympic Games in Sydney. I call on all individuals and organisations concerned to approach this review in a spirit of generosity and co-operation in the interests of Irish sport, and in particular those young men and women who wear the Irish singlet with pride and determination at venues at home and throughout the world. It is my wish that this review will result in positive and constructive outcomes that will lead to an improvement in the performance of our competitors at national and international competition, not just at the Olympic Games. I hope that a more positive and supportive environment will result from these deliberations – a climate that will encourage and nurture young talent, support and respect the elite and ensure co-operation and the sharing of goals among the organisations and agencies charged with the responsibility.
I thank the Seanad for this opportunity to discuss and share opinions on sport. Sport is special to us and it is important that this debate should take place. I look forward to the debate and to hearing from Members so that their views can be taken on board as we review and plan for a productive and successful future for Irish sport.