Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Leaner government and a common-sense approach to the nation's housekeeping is what the Government is about. The Sport Ireland Bill 2014 is another example of the practical steps being taken to simplify and slim down the number of Government agencies. The Bill provides for the dissolution of the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority and the merging of their functions into a single entity, sport Ireland.

Earlier this week we had further evidence of the common-sense approach taken to sports and sporting facilities with the news that sports facilities are to be exempt from commercial rates which will come as a very significant boost to sports clubs across the country. Many sports clubs will welcome the extra money they will retain in their coffers and will put it to good use enhancing the availability of sports across the country.

The health-giving properties of sport for the mind and body are well known. In an era when child and adult obesity is an increasing problem it makes sense to channel further investment into sports facilities at community level. Combatting obesity through sports and making sports more attractive and accessible to all form one element of our national approach to sport. However, there is a darker side to sport in some cases and the Bill designates sport Ireland as the anti-doping organisation for the State.

Almost three years ago the public service reform plan was announced. It had at its heart a plan to reduce the cost of government and seek better value for money while at all times placing customer service at the core of each service. That plan sets out 48 rationalisation measures involving 30 actions and 100 agencies. Today's Bill emerged from that rationalisation drive.

The past three years have seen very significant developments at the National Sports Campus at Abbotstown. Three years ago proposals were submitted for the development of a national indoor athletics track, a national indoor sports centre and gymnastics training centre. In 2012 ownership of the lands at Abbotstown was transferred from the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine to the National Sports Campus Development Authority. Last year saw the Irish Sports Council and 20 other national governing bodies move to Abbotstown. We also had the opening of the National Modern Pentathlon Centre, the National Horse Sport Arena and the National Diving Training Centre.

The Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, has announced €13 million for the new national indoor training arena. Earlier this year all-weather synthetic pitches for Gaelic games, soccer and rugby opened. All of this represents a significant action by the Government and significant commitment to the development of sport in Ireland. It is most encouraging for international athletes, too many of whom in the past had to train in substandard facilities.

I issue one word of caution over the development of this world-class campus which relates to cherishing all our athletes and potential athletes equally. The new sports campus adjoins the M50 which will make it accessible for many people. However, we must look at the effect of such centralised facilities and the impact on athletes whose homes are more than 100 miles from these facilities. Do they have an equal opportunity to access these facilities or can supports or measures be put in place to make those facilities more accessible? Pardon the pun, but is it a level playing field for all competitors? I recognise that centralised facilities must be convenient for as many people as possible and cannot be located in remote areas, but I am sure measures could be put in place to reduce the expense and inconvenience for people whose homes are a long way from the new campus.

I welcome the Bill and the practical approach that underpins it will pay dividends for Irish sport, but I want to see the benefit of that spread among athletes from all corners of the country.

Deputy Lawlor and others raised the issue of sports capital grants. While they can be somewhat of a pain in the neck for public representatives it is good to see after two rounds the amount of good work that has been achieved from relatively small amounts of money, with clubs spending it to increase activity in our community. I would like to see another round of sports capital grants if that is possible under the tight budgetary circumstances the Minister of State faces.

We have a major issue in the country with mental health and particularly suicide among young males. At times we have a tendency to suggest that we should do something about it through schools. We seem to put everything through schools and on top of teachers. Sport can play a very active role in this regard. We have coaches in every kind of sporting activity teaching these young people in the evenings when they are out of school. Maybe these people have not been given adequate training to understand the signs of young people who may be in trouble. We talk about people falling through the cracks. Surely it is better to offer a sort of 24-hour service than just an eight-hour service when they are in school. Perhaps there could be an overall approach involving the Departments of Transport, Tourism and Sport; Health; and Education and Skills. We should bring in all these coaches who deal with these people on a totally different level to see if they can help in combatting this terrible scourge.

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