Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)

I readily acknowledge the funding and facilities that have been provided in every parish, as the Minister stated. However, there is now a need to provide the expertise to match the facilities, as Deputy Deenihan said. There is a lack of volunteers.

Will there be negotiations with the various interested bodies to determine what mechanism can be put in place to provide the training necessary to make the first phase of the centre of excellence a success? There should be officials with the necessary ability and expertise to train youngsters in rugby, soccer, Gaelic and other sports the Minister mentioned. We must move on to the next phase and provide this expertise by way of the sports capital programme. We have lost many volunteers in sport and therefore the centre of excellence can provide the base for future development nationwide. If this is done right, it is only fair to assume we will see a follow-on.

Will a mechanism be put in place to provide the necessary expertise rather than waiting for associations to provide it? I would love the Minister to tell us there will be a link between Sports Campus Ireland and the various bodies to ensure that personnel will be on hand to impart their knowledge to the youngsters using the facility, thus making it a success in every phase. In the longer term, Sports Campus Ireland can facilitate all our sports and become the centre of excellence everyone wants it to be.

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