Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 79: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when he expects the Irish Sports Council (amendment) Bill to be published; the reason for the delay in the publication of this Bill; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the lack of publication and legislation is hampering the work of the Irish Institute of Sport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18135/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Sports Council (amendment) Bill will enable the Irish Sports Council to establish subsidiary companies such as the Irish Institute of Sport. A number of policy issues have arisen during the course of the drafting of this legislation, which are under discussion between my Department, the Department of Finance, the Irish Sports Council and the Attorney General's office. As soon as those discussions are completed, I intend to publish the Bill.

I do not accept that the work of the Irish Institute of Sport is being hampered in any way while this legislation is being finalised. The institute, which has its own executive chairman and board and which is funded by the Irish Sports Council, is continuing with its core purpose of creating an environment which influences and supports talented Irish athletes and ensures they will achieve sustained levels of excellence in elite sport.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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I congratulate the Minister on his appointment and send good wishes to his predecessor, Deputy Séamus Brennan.

I thank the Minister for his reply, but it does not get to the heart of what I am trying to establish here. An institute of sport was first mooted by the then Minister, Deputy Jim McDaid, in December 2001 following the Sydney Olympic Games. There was an Athens review in 2006, when the institute of sport, and its importance, was promoted. We have been promised publication of the Bill for a long time. Indeed, prior to the general election in 2007, if I remember rightly, we were assured the Bill would be published. It seemed to disappear off the list for a while and now it is back again. It would appear we will not get that Bill until the end of the year.

In the meantime, there will be the Olympic Games. The Minister has indicated that it has no impact on the promotion of sport. We have seen the appointment of Seán Kelly and a number of other specialists in the area. We are still leaving an air of uncertainty around it. The future status of the Institute of Sport is not clear. Will it be a subsidiary company of the Irish Sports Council?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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That is a fair question. I am looking at the issue at the moment. There are other issues that have been put on the table and that need to be resolved. I do not necessarily take the view that the continued creation of new independent bodies is the way to go every time. I am not referring specifically to this case, but I want the Deputy to realise that I intend to look at the issue. I will bring it to a conclusion very quickly and I will not prevaricate on it. The board is already set up with a chairman in place and it is doing its work without any hindrance. It is under the auspices of the Irish Sports Council and we will see where we go from here.

Our focus is now to support Irish athletes in every way we can during the run-in to the Olympic Games to make sure that they have the best opportunity to bring back medals to Ireland. That is where we must focus our support, both financially and otherwise. I intend to bring this matter to a conclusion fairly soon.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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I am glad to hear that, but we have been talking about this since 2001. I worry that we will spend another seven years talking about it. It appears to me that the Minister will not have anything in place prior to the Olympic Games. How will the funding be distributed to this new organisation? Will it come via the Irish Sports Council, or will it come independently? What exactly is the status — pension rights and so on — of the employees of the institute relative to those of the Irish Sports Council? Unless the employees know where they stand, it will be very difficult for them to have a long-term commitment unless it is clarified.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with the Deputy. I have no intention of letting this issue hang around for seven years, or even seven months. If we are to proceed with it, we must do so in a way that gives it the best opportunity to be successful in its remit. It is currently under the remit of the Irish Sports Council and any funding is routed through that body. I want to make a decision on the intention, the remit, the structure and the funding of the institute as soon as possible.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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When can we expect the Bill to be published?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Work on the Bill is ongoing and discussions between the Irish Sports Council, the Department of Finance and my Department are being finalised. I will bring the issue to a conclusion fairly quickly. If we are to proceed with this, we will publish a Bill, but if we do not proceed with it then we will not have a Bill.