Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 74: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when the review of the performance of athletes and the preparation for the Beijing Olympics will be completed; when he plans to publish this review; when a new high performance strategy for London 2012 will be initiated; if there is funding for a new round of this programme in budget 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41675/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Sports Council, ISC, which is funded by my Department, has statutory responsibility for encouraging the promotion, development and co-ordination of competitive sport and the achievement of excellence in competitive sport. In this regard, the ISC works in partnership with the Irish Institute of Sport, the Olympic Council of Ireland, the Paralympic Council of Ireland and the relevant national governing bodies of sport in the preparation of Irish athletes for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. My Department has allocated €53 million to the ISC for 2009 which will allow the council to continue to provide high performance support for elite athletes.

I understand that the ISC has established a review group to examine the preparations and performances at the 2008 Beijing Games in order to prepare for the 2012 London Games. The overall aim of the review is to make recommendations to the ISC in respect of structures, programmes and investment policy which should be pursued based on the outcomes of the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I understand that the review will be completed shortly and it is anticipated that the report will be published in December.

I recently met a number of the key stakeholders involved in the support of our elite athletes to discuss how we can best build on the success we had in Beijing and the supports required in terms of coaching, programmes, facilities and funding to ensure the optimum performance of Irish athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games. It is my intention that the issues arising from these meetings will dovetail with the review being carried out by the ISC.

I intend to meet with the Olympic Council of Ireland and the Sports Council shortly in order to identify the challenges which must be met in the preparation of our team for the London Olympic Games.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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The Minister mentioned the Irish Institute of Sport and its very important role. What is its status? I have raised this question a number of times with regard to legislation. It is important that there be clarity concerning its role. The Minister indicated to me previously that the institute may not have a statutory basis and that it may be subsumed, for example, into the Irish Sports Council. People must know its exact status. I am not clear what the current position is with regard to its chief executive since the resignation of the previous incumbent. We must identify where the institute is going and what is its status. It was established to help elite athletes.

Is the Minister convinced that the facilities, supports and backup we will have in place will be adequate for our athletes to compete well in 2012? It may be just as important that athletes from other countries should be able to avail of our facilities. That is a significant issue in the economic debate. What does the Minister think will happen with regard to athletes from other countries who want to train to the highest level? The ideal is to provide that service here for them as well as for our own athletes.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy's question is interesting. I have met with representatives of the Irish Sports Institute which gave a fantastic presentation within the past few weeks. The range, breadth and depth of its activities with athletes is extremely substantial and would be equivalent to that provided by any international body of a similar nature.

It is unlikely that I shall set up the institute on a solo statutory footing. It is not necessary to do so and might not contribute anything. The institute has conveyed to me it wants to have the structure in place and the key people to deliver the kind of training needed.

There is another misunderstanding abroad concerning sport in Ireland. I was in Limerick this week and saw the facilities there. Some of the best known world athletes are coming to Limerick. I am currently trying to get a visa for Usain Bolt, who wants to come to the University of Limerick to train and use the facilities there. The All Blacks team told me that the facilities in Limerick were the best it had encountered and that there was only one other facility in the United Kingdom or Ireland that it considered to be on a par.

I agree with Deputy Upton. We need more facilities of this standard in order to have greater accessibility to and participation in sport in order to produce more athletes. That is my intention and the structures that the Institute of Sport is putting in place with the Irish Sports Council are very important.

The third point is vital to me. I have recently met with approximately 17 sports bodies. Their views on the various structures, what they believe works and what does not, have been an eye-opener for me. I am taking all that on board in looking at the overall structures and how we might progress in getting the maximum out of all the resources we are providing.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I shall take a brief supplementary question.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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I thank the Minister. We have some good facilities and the Minister appears to be very happy with them. We both agree that we would like to have betterones.

Boxing has been our greatest success over the years in terms of Olympic medals. Our boxers bring home medals. Yet it is one of the least well supported sports in the country in terms of resources; it must be acknowledged that this is probably because of the work of amateurs and volunteers, particularly the latter. I have been in boxing clubs in my own constituency where they have to put up the ring, take it down, hoosh it into a corner and then put it up again when the boxers need to train. There are sports that are neglected but these are the ones that bring the greatest kudos in terms of Olympic medals. Perhaps we should spread the largesse and see how the sports in which we may be more successful can be better supported.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Upton makes two important points. The National Stadium has had significant resources spent on it and it works extremely well and efficiently for boxers who make good use of it. I wish to add to that capacity in terms of provision of facilities that are urgently required. These can be built out of facilities at Abbotstown.

The Deputy's point concerning funding is a very good one. This is quite clear when one drills into the sports capital programme and looks at the amount of resources going to boxing. One of the problems boxing clubs have lies in matching resources. These are not as wealthy as some of the soccer and GAA clubs, and others. I am in talks with the Irish Amateur Boxing Association to see if we might put together a package that would allow resources to be better accessed by boxing clubs. Like Deputy Upton, I have boxing clubs in my constitutency. We all have. The money that goes to them is often very little although they can do a considerable amount with few funds. We must look at sports that have impediments in matching resources because they are not able to compete for matching funds with the bigger sporting organisations. I agree with the Deputy and it is my intention to try to put more resources into boxing clubs. They have proved themselves and they deserve it.