Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)

I welcome the decision to fund the annual team performance scheme for inter-county players and I welcome the statements from the Minister and the Gaelic Players Association, GPA, in this regard. I am pleased the matter has been resolved and that teams will compete in the new year with funding in place.

I thank the Minister for his reply in regard to funding for the Sports Council. During the debate on the national drugs strategy, which preceded Question Time, the role of sport in combatting drugs was raised, as was the importance of investment in this area. The Minister has outlined clearly the incremental increases and the overall increase, which is substantial, for the Sports Council.

However, the key issue for the council is that it is required to have a three-year strategy, which involves setting out its proposed expenditure over that period, as the national governing bodies are also required to do. It is difficult for any organisation to do this when there is not certainty as to the funding that will be available on an annual basis. The funding that will be provided in a three-year period is not known, therefore, but the council must put forward a three-year plan.

I appreciate what the Minister said about the annual budget, but perhaps he might discuss with the Minister for Finance whether there is a way that three-year funding programmes can be put in place.

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