Gabrielle McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I begin by noting that there is no Opposition Member in the Chamber. Clearly, Deputies on that side of the House do not consider this Bill of sufficient importance to participate in the debate and are not particularly concerned about the well-being of people in this country.

On Sunday, Rory McIllroy will compete as the world's number one in the greatest golf competition in the world. The value of sport to Ireland's international reputation is incalculable. Sport is serious business, contributing between €1.4 billion and €2.4 billion to GDP and supporting in excess of 40,000 jobs. Sport is said to be the fastest growing niche of the global tourism industry. Indeed, sports tourists have been found to spend almost twice as much as so-called ordinary tourists. In my home town of Athlone, we have an annual triathlon, triAthlone, and we have even hosted a European championship. It is impossible to get a bed in a hotel or guest house in the area on those weekends. The Dublin to Galway cycleway, into which the Minister of State has had a major input, is very beneficial to all the towns along the route. The same is true of the Mayo greenway and the Wild Atlantic Way. These initiatives have shown the clear connection between tourism and sport. At the same time, such measures also benefit local communities and the well-being of residents. We are all aware of the value of sport to the health and well-being of the nation.

I support the provisions we are discussing today.

The purpose of the Bill is to provide for the formation of a new statutory sports body, Sport Ireland, or Spórt Éireann, which merges the two exiting sports bodies, the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority. I welcome this merger as it is part of the Government's programme for the rationalisation of State agencies, which was promised. It brings responsibility for the implementation of Irish sports policy under a single agency. The new agency will take over responsibility for the relevant functions currently performed by the Irish Sports Council and the authority. Sport Ireland will continue the good work currently being done by the council in promoting, developing and co-ordinating sport in Ireland and the work of the authority in developing the National Sports Campus at Blanchardstown.

One aspect of the Bill I particularly welcome is the provision to statutorily underpin the national anti-doping programme and the Irish anti-doping rules. The clampdown in doping in Irish sport will receive a major boost from this merger. Under this new plan, the Garda, Irish Medicines Board and, where necessary, customs officials will be able to share information. It is vital for the reputation of Irish sport that all athletes are competing on an equal footing. The decision will allow Sport Ireland to protect a culture of clean sport. This work is important for everyone who loves sport, whether competing, training or just spectating. It will allow young people and serious athletes to compete in the true spirt of sport.

As others mentioned, many sports clubs have benefitted from the sports capital grants. My constituency was very happy to have benefitted from them. Many clubs of all sorts of descriptions and sizes received grants, including Gaelic, soccer, boxing and rowing clubs. It is not necessary part of the Bill but is there a possibility, when the Minister of State has funding again to give out grants, to have a preliminary check for applications, where a preliminary application could be sent in, checked and returned to a club before the closing date so it could adjust its application, if necessary, and it does not get the news at the last minute when it is too late to do anything about it? That would alleviate much of the frustration clubs feel. Having said that, many clubs and groups in my constituency were very happy to benefit from the Minister of State's very fair way of distributing the money throughout the country and not only his constituency, as has happened in the past.

I compliment the Minister on all the work he has done on sports tourism. As I mentioned, it is a vital part of regrowing our tourism industry, our economy and our international reputation.

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