Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 6: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has received representations regarding the value of sports disability officers; if he supports a specific policy of inclusion in sport of persons with a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47603/09]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 17: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his plans to assist sports inclusion disability officers here in view of the work that they carry out in communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47027/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 17 together.

Special funding of €2.5 million was allocated from the dormant accounts fund for the appointment of 20 sports inclusion development officers, SIDOs, in local sports partnerships, LSPs, in 2008. The SIDOs were appointed on two-year contracts to provide opportunities for persons with a disability to participate in sport and physical activity. A network of 33 LSPs have been set up throughout the country by the Irish Sports Council, ISC, to co-ordinate and promote sport at local level, particularly among specific target groups, such as older people, girls and women, people with disabilities, unemployed people and those who live in identified disadvantaged communities. The special dormant accounts funding was in addition to the annual funding provided to the LSPs by the ISC for programmes and initiatives aimed at increasing participation in recreational sport. The ISC has allocated €6 million to the LSPs in 2009. I have received representations on funding under this programme.

The continued funding of the sports inclusion disability officer scheme is a matter for the Irish Sports Council in the context of the distribution of its budget for 2010, supplemented by a provision of €395,000 in the Vote of the Department, and the council's priorities within its ongoing funding of the local sports partnership network. The priority is to build on the significant progress by the council in achieving its statutory objectives of increasing participation in recreational sport and improving high performance levels.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am not sure what that response was telling me. As the Minister knows, the sports inclusion disability officers work through the local sports partnerships. The dormant account funding from last year amounted to €1.3 million while it is €300,000 this year. Clearly, there is significant shortfall of €1 million.

Approximately 5,000 people were able to participate in sport for the first time through the partnerships on foot of the work of the sports inclusion disability officers. The latter were doing outstanding work. People who were very isolated were afforded an opportunity to participate in sport. From health and social perspectives, such people probably benefit more from participation in sport than the able-bodied. It was wonderful to be able to expose them to sport for the first time. To withdraw the programme would be a real tragedy.

Will the €1 million be made up by the Irish Sports Council or the Department? Will it be made up in full?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Sports Council has an allocation and must make choices. I happen to agree with the Deputy and have made my views clear to the council that the programme needs to be continued. I cannot speak for the council but I understand it is minded in that direction. It must consider the total budget and determine where savings can be made in other areas so the resources can be allocated.

The work of the local sports partnerships is outstanding. I fought for the budget and kept it largely in place to maintain in the coming years the programmes on the ground, bearing in mind the employment created and the services offered to those in all the relevant sectors, including the disadvantaged, women's groups and the disabled. I am reasonably confident that will be the outcome in 2010.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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The problem is that the magic fund of the Irish Sports Council is getting smaller by the minute. In 2008, it had €57 million and now its allocation is €49 million, representing a decrease of 13%. Out of its allocation, it must fund all the sports, including those under the remit of the sports inclusion disability officers. How far can the fund stretch without seriously damaging the work of the officers? Everybody agrees they have had a great impact and have been very inclusive. They have given people who might never have been able to participate in sport the opportunity to do so, not to mention the fact they have created employment.

While it is all very fine to say the Irish Sports Council has responsibility and that it is up to it to decide how to distribute its funds, it will not have sufficient funding. Somebody will have to suffer seriously. There is approximately €400,000 secured for the sports inclusion disability officer programme. A grant can be applied for, to a maximum of €25,000, which sum must be dedicated to salaries. I do not know where the money is coming from.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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We are now in different times but one advantage of this is that we are achieving far better value for the money we are spending. We can almost realise the same value as we did some years ago, although the budgets have decreased somewhat in recent years.

We want to maintain as much activity as we can. I have gone about this in the correct way. There were choices to be made on some of the programmes the Deputies raised, which I cannot fund at present as much as I would like to do so. My sole objective is to ensure that there are as many people as possible participating in sport at all levels. I believe the inclusion programme about which the Deputies spoke will be in place in 2010.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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My information is that the sports partnerships have been told already that they will receive €20,000. They received €60,000 under the previous scheme. One would not have to be a rocket scientist to realise the programme will be cut back drastically if funding does not come from somewhere else. Will the Minister commit to ensuring that the disabled and disability officers will not be subject to cutbacks of the kind my information suggests will occur?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am not trying to hide behind anything in saying the Irish Sports Council is independent of political interference; it is as simple as that. I can make my views clear-----

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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There is a special issue here.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am not disagreeing with the Deputy. I have been more than forthcoming and the Deputies present know that. I want to see the programme maintained in 2010 and my understanding and position is that it will be.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to hear the council is of a mind to maintain the programme. I am often of a mind to do things myself but do not have the purse to do them.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I must use careful language.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I understand.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is around long enough and knows what I am trying to say.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister undertake to track what actually happens? We will not hear from people with disabilities. They will disappear behind their doors and become invisible. We will not know whether they will have access to what they had access to last year. Will the Minister ensure that the Irish Sports Council provides the money?

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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People with disabilities have already been hit in the budget and I sincerely hope they will not become the target again due to the loss of funding for their sports inclusion officers. These officers are so important in giving the disabled an opportunity they might never have otherwise. The funding should be found wherever it can be found. Responsibility should not rest entirely with the Irish Sports Council.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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In defence of my Department, it must be stated lest it be forgotten that I am not making any reduction. The money was coming from a different Department altogether, granted that I am facing the pass regarding what has arisen. With regard to my funding and programmes, nothing has been done to undermine the programme in question. I am trying, in spite of resourcing difficulties, to sustain the programme. I will be tracking it. I am sure Deputy Mitchell will have a question tabled in the coming months on how exactly it is working. The money was very well spent and the programme has had a great impact. Without the programme, the quality of life of the participants would be much lower.