John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

I am pleased to endorse the initiative ILAM has undertaken which I welcome and commend as an important instrument to promote the highest standards in facility management and maintenance to meet today's requirements. To that extent, the initiative is welcome.

As I stated, I indicated informally to ILAM that I did not envisage any direct role which would be appropriate for my Department in what is essentially an internal leisure industry standard. Given the level of regular contact and ongoing open communication between my Department and ILAM, it is worth noting that the latter has not pursued the question of the Department's closer involvement in the operation of the white flag scheme. This indicates that the Department's participation in the adjudication process is not a critical success factor for the scheme.

This is not, incidentally, an excuse for the Department's oversight in not writing formally to ILAM on the matter. However, it appears to provide an indicator that an internal industry scheme based on functions and criteria well outside the Department's remit and expertise should flourish without the involvement of a Department. For example, the blue flag awards do not have a direct input from the Department which does not have the level of expertise required to enable examinations and testing to take place or to benchmark against relevant criteria. Unfortunately, this is also true of indoor facilities.

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