Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 17 together.

Special funding of €2.5 million was allocated from the dormant accounts fund for the appointment of 20 sports inclusion development officers, SIDOs, in local sports partnerships, LSPs, in 2008. The SIDOs were appointed on two-year contracts to provide opportunities for persons with a disability to participate in sport and physical activity. A network of 33 LSPs have been set up throughout the country by the Irish Sports Council, ISC, to co-ordinate and promote sport at local level, particularly among specific target groups, such as older people, girls and women, people with disabilities, unemployed people and those who live in identified disadvantaged communities. The special dormant accounts funding was in addition to the annual funding provided to the LSPs by the ISC for programmes and initiatives aimed at increasing participation in recreational sport. The ISC has allocated €6 million to the LSPs in 2009. I have received representations on funding under this programme.

The continued funding of the sports inclusion disability officer scheme is a matter for the Irish Sports Council in the context of the distribution of its budget for 2010, supplemented by a provision of €395,000 in the Vote of the Department, and the council's priorities within its ongoing funding of the local sports partnership network. The priority is to build on the significant progress by the council in achieving its statutory objectives of increasing participation in recreational sport and improving high performance levels.

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