Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the two presentations. I am pleased both groups are here together and, as Mr. Mulvey said, there is peace and harmony across the sporting organisations. Mr. Hickey referred to the note that privilege was in place. There was a time when I would have loved if privilege had been in place because I would have loved to have heard some of the undercurrents that existed. That time has passed and it is good that we can almost look back in a jocose way and recognise the tremendous changes that have taken place, the positive impact that prevails and the success. We can congratulate both groups for their input into the most recent success at the London Olympic Games and wish them well in their continued endeavours. This committee covers so much, concentrating on matters of transport, tourism, communications and natural resources, and often our role in sporting activity and endeavour is put to the side to some extent.

With Senator Eamonn Coghlan on the committee, we have been dragged back to focus on it because sport has such a positive impact - which the representatives know well from their work but which is often lost on us and on society generally - on individual participants, entertainment and health promotion. Our role is about how we can continue to support the various bodies as opposed to telling them what to do. I am not qualified to do that. What more as legislators can we do to assist them in the work they undertake to encourage greater participation, enhance sporting activity and ensure the various federations succeed in attracting more participants?

At the end of the day, Mr. Mulvey referred to value for taxpayers' money and the work done in this regard and he stated the cuts have not been as deep. This is right because of the impact of sport on people's lives. What are the representatives views on sponsorship and advertising by the drinks industry? We are preparing a report on this issue and it is timely that they are before us. I am interested in their views on that.