Pádraig Ó Céidigh (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Our Olympic athletes inspire the country, as do our international sportspeople and intercounty players. We have one present who graced the fields for Mayo and helped Galway to win all-Ireland final championships. We are in a poor position and at a critical juncture. In 2012 Irish athletes won six medals at the London Olympics Games. They included one gold, one silver and four bronze medals and resulted in Ireland being ranked 41st in the world. In Rio de Janeiro Irish athletes won two silver medals. Fair play to the O'Donovan brothers and Annalise Murphy for winning them. Frankly, we are sliding very fast down the scale. Will the Minister consider putting together a special task force, as was done in the United Kingdom, to fund the development of our elite athletes in order that they will have some chance? I have mentored Olympic athletes and, God knows, to survive they went from foot to mouth. Athletes from Denmark which is the same size as Munster won 15 medals in Rio de Janeiro, but our athletes won only two. Athletes from New Zealand which has the same population as Ireland and a lower GNP won 19 metals in Rio de Janeiro.

For the sake of our nation, I ask the Minister to consider putting a special effort into developing our Olympic efforts.

To follow on from what my colleague, Deputy O'Keeffe, said, I congratulate the Paralympians who will arrive back in Dublin today on winning 11 medals. It is an unprecedented haul of medals and they have done fabulous work. We, as a coiste, should acknowledge their achievement.