Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

While I would like to be in a position to provide the maximum amount of resources to every player or athlete in every sport, the resources available to me are finite. Taxpayers have invested vast resources in the three largest sports organisations, the Gaelic Athletic Association, Football Association of Ireland and Irish Rugby Football Union. While there is nothing wrong with this, I am convinced that with relatively small sums of money we could achieve much greater success, including at Olympic and world level, in a large number of sports. However, I do not have unlimited resources.

To achieve good performances at the Olympic Games or in world athletics or boxing championships we must make fair and balanced decisions. Some of the large sporting organisations have the capacity to raise substantial sums of money. They are cash rich, although they make good use of the significant funds that flow through them. This capacity is not present in other sports. We constantly ask the reason Ireland is not successful in some of these sports at international level. I want fairness and for us to do well in these sports. Any assessment of the budget will show that in recent years the GAA, FAI and IRFU have received an incredible amount of resources from taxpayers. While this has the proper course of action, it is not sustainable.

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