Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

Sometimes issues are picked up because of timing but not long ago I articulated a similar and strong view on sport. When we discuss sport we must understand the huge impact that can be made at a very young level by the money invested by sporting bodies throughout the country in training and facilities and the access children are given to sport. The Deputy is fully aware that the quality of managers and coaches for young people in recent years is far beyond what we had in my day, and that is right.

The programmes that we sustain in disadvantaged areas where children would never have had access to sport are very important because they have a huge impact on the children's self-worth. I will articulate a strongly held view on the budget for sport next year and in years to come. We have a big distortion in the budget because last year more than €100 million went to the Lansdowne Road stadium. All of that money has been drawn down and as it is not a repetitive funding programme it leaves a huge gap. I will fight for the coherence that has been established between sport, tourism and the arts to maintain as best we can in difficult times the funding for sport.

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