Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

All of the Deputies are speaking my language. I would love to see the Department of Finance giving us more funding for sport. Governments think in terms of one to five years rather than one to 15 years. The more money that is invested in sport, the healthier society will be. There will be a lower incidence of diabetes and obesity and as the years progress, less money will be needed to deal with health issues. There will be a decreased need for hospitals and nursing staff, if members of society are fitter. Since I became Minister of State with responsibility for sport, the percentage of the population which does not participate in sport has decreased from 16% to 13%. We need to keep working on that number.

The Deputy is correct that it would be difficult to police a ban on the advertising of alcohol at sports events, considering that sports programmes are broadcast from all over the world. For example, when it was banned in France, the consumption of alcohol increased. This proves that the ban did not have the hoped-for influence. As a result of the French experience, Britain decided not to impose a ban. I would much prefer if drink companies were not involved, but the Government does not have the funds. Deputy Dessie Ellis is correct and speaks my language. The bigger professional sports bodies would survive and the grassroots bodies would be the ones to suffer. We do not want that to happen; we want the grassroots bodies to be funded. People do not start at the top of a sport, they start at the bottom. More than ever, there is a need for grassroots sports organisations. Sport has lifts the soul, the mind and the spirit of the people in the past four or five years, despite the economic downturn. We must, therefore, do our best to find the funding for sport.

See this speech in context