John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for his answer. I compliment all involved parties, including the Minister, in bringing the issue surrounding the grants schemes for Gaelic footballers to a conclusion. The ball was bouncing around for a long time and I am glad it has been sorted out. We will all have some work to do in the new year.

Now that problem has been solved, the Minister might help to solve this problem. I am glad to hear the 33 local authority areas will have the sports partnership network rolled out as I am conscious of the great work it does in widening the appeal of sport and increasing participation across all ages, ethnic groups and social classes.

With regard to funding, I gather the budget is minimum, with approximately 3% of a total amount spent on sport. Is there any plan to increase the funding for these sports partnerships? Many different groups would benefit. For example, at the age of 20, only 36% of women participate in sport compared to 65% of men. A recent survey indicated that 52% of older people would like in some way to get involved in activities. An activity park was recently opened in Trim in that regard. There is much potential and as our population ages, we would see significant health benefits.

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