Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

The Irish institute of sport has been in operation since 2006 as a unit within the Irish Sports Council with its own specially selected board. The executive chairperson, supported by a senior management team, which includes a director of sports science, director of sports medicine, director of athlete services and a director of technical services, has been working with the national governing bodies of sport and the elite athletes in ensuring that they have available to them the most up-to-date supports as they prepare to represent Ireland at international events. The budget of the institute for 2008 is €3.9 million compared to its first full year budget in 2007 of €1.4 million.

The Department has been working on a Bill to enable the Irish Sports Council to establish subsidiaries such as the Irish institute of sport. At the launch of the institute, the intended corporate governance structure was that it would be a wholly owned subsidiary of the Irish Sports Council. As the Irish Sports Council legislation did not have provision for the council to set up a subsidiary, amending legislation is required. I have already indicated to the House that issues have arisen during the course of the drafting of the Bill which are under discussion between the Department, the Department of Finance, the Irish Sports Council and the Office of the Attorney General. I also indicated to the House that I do not necessarily take the view that the continued creation of new bodies is the way to go every time. In addition, I am cognisant of the recently published OECD review of the structure and governance of State agencies and I will bear that in mind in my consideration as to how best to proceed. In the interim, the institute is getting on with its work and the absence of a statutory base for the institute at this time is not preventing it from delivering its much sought after services.

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