Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Mulvey for his remarks and I am glad that need may now become a criterion in assessments in the future.

In relation to some of the elite sports, I note that cycling has increased since 2010 by 202%, which is enormous. I am sure it has nothing to do with our eminent Taoiseach, who has also highlighted this sport, but a couple of elite sportspeople recently signed for the Sky team in cycling and are also in receipt of funding from the Sports Council. I would have thought that once that level of achievement was reached, the funding would no longer be necessary.