Eamonn Coghlan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Mulvey to the committee. From a personal perspective and in my role as a Senator, I thank Mr. Mulvey for his leadership of and dedication to the Irish Sports Council since his appointment. Having been on the board of the Irish Sports Council and having chaired the high performance committee I have witnessed at first hand exactly what the Irish Sports Council has delivered.

Subject to the approval I have no doubt will be forthcoming, I wish Mr. Mulvey and the board the best of luck with Sport Ireland. The Irish Sports Council transformed Irish sport following its establishment in 1999, in particular over the last eight years when it has asked all the national governing bodies to step up to the plate. Where it established criteria for them to be professionalised, most of them have met them. I have seen the transformation of the high performance programme in all sports through to participation in sport in Ireland and coach education. Last Saturday week, I was in at the sports campus and I was never so envious in all my life. It is 30 years too late for me. When I saw the new national indoor arena under construction, I said "Wow" and wished it had been there all those years ago. The facilities are a monument to the people of Ireland, not just the high performance sportspeople. The public will be able to use those facilities going forward. Having all the NGBs located on campus will be brilliant. They will be able to share knowledge and think and act big. They will raise their level of thinking in world terms to a higher bar.

Each week, we celebrate great Irish sporting performances by individuals and teams all around the world. Sometimes, we cry a little bit when we do not make the semi-final of the Rugby World Cup. The saddest story of all this year was the resignation of Billy Walsh over the last number of days. I have known Billy for many years and understand exactly what has been going on for the past seven years. I have two simple questions for Mr. Mulvey, who may reiterate what he has already said. I know it is not about money because looking at what Mr. Mulvey has shown us, he should be getting double the salary. Given that he is not looking for money, what is Billy looking for? What is the IABA so resistant about giving him? What is it that they will not give Billy? The other question relates to the Chairman's point and the relationship with Sport Northern Ireland. There was some contention with athletes from the Republic of Ireland who felt that while they were getting nice funding from the Irish Sports Council, Olympians and Paralympians in the North of Ireland could get double funding. That was being addressed a few years ago. What is the situation with regard to that double funding and have any decisions been made about it?