John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

The nationwide audit of sports facilities has commenced and is being carried out in stages to help speed up the availability of information. Phase one of the audit will establish a record of national and regional sports facilities and is being carried out within my Department.

The work currently being undertaken is a data gathering exercise in conjunction with the main sporting bodies and local authorities to identify the facilities for inclusion in this phase. My Department has identified a list of in excess of 100 sports facilities of national or regional significance. Many of these have been funded under the sports capital programme since 1999 and a considerable bank of information already exists, although some of this information is not up to date and, therefore, a complete set of data has to be obtained. In addition, details of facilities at third level educational institutions and swimming pools have also been included on this inventory. Further engagement with the main sporting bodies, local authorities and facility owners and managers is being undertaken so a comprehensive database on the range and nature of sporting facilities at national and regional level can be completed.

By ascertaining and mapping what is already in place at a national and regional level, an important part of developing a strategic approach to future facility provision will be put in place, as well as establishing the level of need that exists in the sports sector and helping to determine future priorities. As I have previously explained, the enormity of completing the full audit of sports facilities should not be underestimated and, given the experience of other countries, is likely to take a number of years.

With London 2012 on the horizon, there is the possibility that athletes and teams from other countries may consider using Ireland as a training base in the years leading up to the Olympics. Ireland possesses the advantages of being in the same climatic and time zones as London, being within an hour by air travel, and Ireland will avoid most of the media hype that one often finds in the host country.

In order to ensure Ireland benefits from the proximity of the London 2012 Olympic Games, I have established a London 2012 task force made up of experts from sporting, business, tourism and cultural interests. This group will work to ensure Ireland is an attractive training base for Olympic athletes in the run-up to 2012 and Ireland also benefits from the tourism, business and cultural opportunities arising from the hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London in 2012.

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If Ireland is to be attractive to potential participating athletes, access to high quality sporting and ancillary facilities must be available. In this regard, my Department is currently undertaking, as a separate exercise, a sports infrastructural audit of facilities that might be suitable to develop to meet the training needs of overseas teams preparing for the 2012 Olympics. Department officials have already held discussions with national governing bodies of sport and have been in touch with third level institutions to establish the type, range and suitability of the sports facilities available for this purpose.

The Olympic Council of Ireland has identified a number of individual sports facilities that may require some upgrade work to bring them up to the standard required by Olympic athletes. Universities are also well placed to provide packages of sporting, accommodation and ancillary facilities. A limited number of local authority facilities may be worth considering for the training camps.

Over the coming months, this audit process will be completed in line with the standards set out by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. We will then have a clearer picture of the facilities likely to be attractive to participating athletes in the build-up to London 2012 and my Department will then examine whether investment may be required to bring these facilities up to the required standard. Any expenditure on facilities will be aimed not only at attracting teams but also at ensuring a lasting legacy for Irish sports.

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