Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It accounted for approximately 2% of total Irish employment in 2011. It contributed over €1.8 billion to GDP in both 2011 and 2012, despite a 6.9% cut in Government funding. I will not bash on about the cuts. We recognised that moderation was needed in various areas. In 2011, spending on sporting activity amounted to €1.9 billion of total household expenditure. It accounts for a considerable component of household spending. While we support investment in sporting infrastructure in local communities across the country, we are not in favour of the creation of some kind of superquango that would have recourse to consultants that would utilise money in a manner that means we would not see the best benefit from that money. If the role of this organisation is to support the work of the Government in developing the strategy about which the Minister of State has spoken, and if the central tenet of that strategy is an attempt to secure the greater participation of young people and adults in sport, I will be very supportive of it.

It is fair to say that this Bill will pass without too much difficulty, even if nothing of any great note will have been achieved. I hope the Minister of State will move quickly towards the establishment of a policy, and a strategy around the implementation of that policy, in the shortest time possible.

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