John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

As the Deputy is aware, one of the key recommendations of the Athens review, which was published last year, was that the structures necessary to establish an Irish institute of sport should be put in place to deliver optimal support services for Olympic and Paralympic athletes and sports. It was envisaged that the institute would form the basis of a long-term and sustainable high performance infrastructure, taking into account the experiences of and expertise within the National Coaching and Training Centre, which is based in the University of Limerick. The recent report of the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Ireland and the Olympics: From Athens to London, also recommended that such an institute should be established as a priority. At my request, the Irish Sports Council, with the assistance of a technical expert group and an advisory expert group, has developed proposals for the establishment of such an institute. The expert groups comprised international experts in sports science and medicine with experience in the development of the concept of an institute. I have received the Irish Sports Council's proposals. The Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism is involved in discussions with the council with a view to teasing out the issues involved. I intend to bring proposals in this regard to the Government in the near future.

I am enthusiastic about the potential of the proposed institute of sport to become a source of real support for Ireland's elite athletes. If the institute makes available the best emerging technology, sport science and sport medicine to those athletes, it will bring this country's support system into line with that available to the athletes' counterparts elsewhere. The existing providers of specialist supports to elite performers will have a key role in the new structure. Significant progress has been made in the development of a high performance system in Ireland in recent years. Increased levels of funding have been made available, specific programmes of support have been put in place and national and regional training centres have been constructed. The Irish Sports Council's budget has increased by over 210% since its establishment, from €13.2 million in its first full year of operation in 2000 to €40.9 million in 2006. The additional funding being provided to the council this year includes €1 million to meet the costs associated with establishing the proposed institute in 2006.

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