Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, for his frank position but it is not adequate that the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, is not present in the Chamber.

This co-ordinating group seems to have identified opportunities arising from the London 2012 Olympic Games. Unfortunately, many people can sit there and identify opportunities. What is needed is an action plan to exploit these. On what Mr. Hickey has said, this is not happening and the group is just a toothless talking shop. Opportunities that existed have been lost.

The Olympic Games will begin in nine months. Due to the detailed planning involved for teams and even spectators, many have already decided their itineraries without including Ireland. The horse has bolted; we are gone past the notion of sending out CDs. Sending around Foster and Allen CDs to national Olympic committees is ridiculous. With the relative size of its budget, a local authority puts together CDs to promote its county. For the State to do so is an appalling and disappointing approach. It speaks volumes of the so-called hands-on approach of the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Deputy Varadkar. We want the Government to provide an action plan. We need the Minister to sell this country as a location for Olympic teams to his various counterparts across the world.

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