Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

The funding of the Irish Sports Council, as with all Departments and State agencies, is a matter for consideration under the annual budget and Estimates process. In doing so, the Government must balance competing demands from every part of our economy and society. The question of whether multiannual funding should be provided for agencies such as the Irish Sports Council is primarily a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance. My Department, like all other Departments, is provided with annual current expenditure budgets through the Estimates process.

The Government acknowledges the many social and health benefits that are derived from sporting participation and this is reflected in the levels of spending on sport. The budget for sport this year is over €295 million, compared to just €17 million ten years ago. Furthermore, the national development plan includes a commitment to provide €991 million for sport infrastructure during the period up to 2013.

The Irish Sports Council was established in 1999 as the statutory body responsible for the promotion and development of sport in Ireland. The council's mandate comes from the Irish Sports Council Act 1999, which gives it six key functions. It should encourage the promotion, development and co-ordination of competitive sport, develop strategies for increasing participation in recreational sport and co-ordinate their implementation by all Irish bodies involved in promoting recreational sport and providing recreational sport facilities. It should facilitate good standards of conduct and fair play in both competitive and recreational sport, combat doping in sport, initiate and encourage research concerning competitive or recreational sport and facilitate research and disseminate information concerning competitive or recreational sport.

In 2000, the first full year of operation of the Irish Sports Council, its funding allocation was €13.2 million. This was increased to €19.6 million in 2001, €28.7 million in 2002, €28.3 million in 2003 and it rose to €40.9 million by 2006. The figure was over €54 million in 2007. The increase from 2000 to this year represents a very significant increase of more than 300%. The Government has provided funding of over €240 million to the Irish Sports Council since it was established. These are significant amounts of taxpayers' money in any context and the Government's commitment to sport is evidenced by these very substantial increases in funding.

I am pursuing funding for the council in 2008, along with all aspects of sport funding, as we work to conclude the 2008 Estimates process, which is underway.

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