Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 36: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has made a final decision on increased funding for the community games; his views on the clear need for more funding for the games in view of the drop-off in the numbers of volunteers able to devote time to the games; if he has had discussions with representatives from the community games regarding the new strategic plan currently being formulated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8190/06]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Sports Council was set up as a statutory body in July 1999 with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards. The provision in funding for the Irish Sports Council in the 2006 Estimates is €40.9 million, in comparison to just over €13 million in 2000. The council provides funding to recognised national governing bodies of sport, including the national Community Games organisation. National governing bodies are dealt with as autonomous organisations and grants are allocated under agreed funding conditions and with specific priorities in mind. The grant allocation process is run on an annual basis by the Irish Sports Council, with national governing bodies submitting an application form covering their programmes for the coming year. My Department has no role in the level of annual funding provided to individual national governing bodies of sport.

In 2006, the national Community Games received a grant from the Irish Sports Council of €250,000, which represents the largest amount of grant aid given to the national Community Games by the council since its inception. This is in recognition of the work that has been done to streamline and modernise the organisation including the reduction of members on its executive. The council has been in regular contact over the last two years regarding the changes being implemented as part of the previous strategic plan and will continue to be involved with the community games this year in developing the new strategy. The national Community Games have recently announced a new sponsorship arrangement with the Health Service Executive and this is to be welcomed as a very appropriate partnership. This increased funding will alleviate financial concerns for the future of the games and will give added recognition to the work of their many dedicated volunteers.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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The Minister said he does not have an input into the funding for the games. At a recent function at which the famous founder of the Community Games, Joe Connolly, was honoured, the Taoiseach said an announcement of increased funding for the games had been expected but the issue was still being assessed by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue. I do not know whether the Minister or the Taoiseach is wrong on this issue but perhaps the Minister will clarify it.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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The Minister is responsible when there is good news.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Obviously, the Taoiseach is waiting for a statement from the Minister about it. In the same press report in The Irish Times on 11 February 2006, grave concern was expressed by Donal Buggy, the chief executive of the Community Games, about problems with volunteerism and about parents being under extreme pressure, to the point that they are not encouraging children's participation in the Community Games.

The Community Games is a huge undertaking because of the variety of sports, which encompasses practically every sport one can imagine a child being involved in. There is a need for further funding from the Sports Council for the Community Games. It takes 20,000 volunteers per year to run the games, probably more than is required by any other sporting organisation in the country. This is important because the Community Games can determine what attitude a child will have towards recreational sport in the future. Is the Taoiseach correct that further funding will be made available or will it still be determined by the Sports Council?

The committee on arts, sport and tourism has discussed the issue of volunteerism. What can be done by the Minister's Department, the Sports Council and other organisations to revive volunteerism in Ireland? Nowadays, volunteerism is a major problem in every organisation. What can we do to reverse that trend? We spoke earlier about reversing a decision relating to the film industry. Given the number of sports involved in the Community Games, can an increased amount of funding be provided? This investment is important in fostering children's views on recreational sport. The funding situation might also increase the number of volunteers attached to the games.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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I am a great fan of the Community Games. Unlikely as it might seem, as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform I was also involved in giving grant aid to the Community Games. Indeed, the current Minister today added to the funds which I, in that office, had allocated so between us we have allocated €800,000 to the Community Games at Mosney. The Taoiseach is correct that the amount allocated to the Community Games this year is the highest ever allocated by the Sports Council, at €250,000.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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I will be looking at the newspapers in the next few weeks.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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Volunteerism is an important issue. Few organisations of the country boast of a greater level of volunteerism than the Community Games. The men and women who volunteer to assist in sport are the true heroes and heroines of sport in Ireland. In that context, the Community Games movement has a registered adult volunteer complement of approximately 20,000 people and approximately 250,000 registered under 18 year old members. It has approximately 711 affiliated areas and, in 2005, the number of counties participating was 31. The sole exception was County Antrim.

With regard to volunteerism, the ESRI report prior to Christmas indicated that there are 400,000 volunteers in the country. That is a wonderful sign of how things are going in Ireland. In an age of materialism, the individual often transcends the community but in the case of these 400,000 people, the community clearly transcends the individual. The men and women who put up the nets, line the fields and put out the flags are the true heroes and heroines of Irish sport.

It is time we recognised the role of volunteers in sport. In that context, I am formulating plans to bring before Government with a view to examining whether we can create an appropriate awards scheme which would recognise not just the individuals concerned but also the individuals as representing the volunteers who give their time and effort to the children of the nation. These plans are well advanced and I hope to bring them to Government in the not too distant future so we can appropriately recognise the true heroes and heroines of Irish sport.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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The Minister will be aware of the Oireachtas committee report on volunteerism which quantified the value of volunteers to the country. If they were to be replaced, it would cost the Exchequer approximately €250 million. That must make the case for additional funding. There is a great deal of burn-out among volunteers. People are getting frustrated because it is costing them a great deal of money and, to a greater extent, time. The perception is that the Community Games, which has been one of the most positive movements in sport in this country with the GAA, is being sidelined. Will the Minister make a commitment today that it will be top of his priorities?

The report on obesity was produced approximately six months ago. It stated that 300,000 young people in this country are either obese or overweight. The Community Games would be an important vehicle for ensuring that this rate of obesity, which will lead to major health problems, including type 2 diabetes which is now manifesting itself in young children, will not continue into the future. There are compelling reasons for investing in the Community Games. The money provided at present is inadequate, despite what the Taoiseach said. Will the Minister give a more firm commitment in this regard than he has given thus far?

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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The amount of money allocated to the Sports Council for 2006 is the highest ever, at €40.9 million. Clearly, this gives greater scope to the Sports Council to fund various non-governmental organisations and bodies in the State. The Community Games is one example. The organisation has received the highest amount ever. It is also welcome that the organisation has been greatly facilitated by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the current Minister. In that context, a new contract for the use of Mosney was signed between Mosney Irish Holidays Limited and the Minister on 18 November 2004 to provide for the use of the facility at Mosney up to 5 June 2010. I greatly welcome that because this was one of the major concerns the organisation had when I was Minister in that Department. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and its various Ministers, including myself, have been as helpful as possible to the Community Games.

In the same way the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism has been hugely helpful to the organisation. Since 1999, the Irish Sports Council has funded the Community Games to the tune of €1,745,345. That is no mean achievement in the context of the funding that was available to the Sports Council over those years. The Sports Council decides how it will allocate its funding. I will bring to its attention what has been said by the Opposition Members today and see whether the council will, in its wisdom, decide to increase the funding even though the €250,000 for 2006 is the highest amount ever given. Some 500,000 youngsters are involved in the Community Games in any given year, which is a considerable number by any stretch of the imagination. I accept Deputy Deenihan's point that the games help to combat obesity and so on. The national Community Games are of immense importance. I acknowledge the role of Mr. Buggy, his officers, executive, volunteers and staff. Without the games, there is no question that Irish life and the children of the nation would be the poorer as a consequence.

I want the Community Games to continue to thrive and I want more young people involved in them. It is sometimes forgotten that some of our greatest sporting heroes began their sporting lives in the Community Games. Sportspersons like Sonia O'Sullivan, Eamon Coughlan, MichaelCarruth and Niall Quinn, to name but a few, started out with the Community Games. It is appropriate that we would continue to fund the games adequately.