Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We were all delighted by the launch of the sports policy document last July. It is a welcome document. It was ten years since the previous document for a sports programme was launched. We hope it is not just an aspiration because documents can be put on shelves. I hope we do not have to depend on kneejerk reactions. For example, when the ladies' hockey team did well on the world stage the Minister was able to find money straightaway to advance their sport and other Olympic sports.

The funding has been doubled from €111 million to €250 million. When will the target spending be achieved? Will that be before the ten-year period ends? I know it will increase in increments but will the increments be within a five, seven or ten-year period? We may not see the programme fully implemented. The Minister of State said there are 57 actions, largely to increase participation in all types of sport. High performance sports are the ones that everyone watches on TV and wants to get involved in the following morning, and there are various sports codes, team and individual. Schools have to be considered to ensure that students of all ages are involved and there have to be recreational activities for those who cannot participate actively. We must not lose sight of people with disabilities. An hour ago we launched a programme on disabled access to transport. It is a case of whether we can deliver these programmes on time and within schedule. There are many targets but what timeframes are there for each target for the people who are following in the Minister's footsteps? Money will be the big thing. We welcome the funding and commitment but money is the backbone of any project.

I thank the various governing bodies such as Sport Ireland, the Federation of Irish Sport and the revamped Olympic Council of Ireland and the Olympic Federation of Ireland, which has made great strides since the debacle in Rio. I hope they will all work hand in hand. The Minister was in America recently. He has already committed money to the anti-doping programme. Is that guaranteed? We commend the emphasis on anti-doping but will we be at a deficit in activating the overall participation programme?