Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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2. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the 7% reduction to the budget of the Irish Sports Council; and his views on the effect this will have on the delivery of front-line services by national governing sports bodies, and on the high performance programme. [54579/13]

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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The role of sport in Irish society is very important and somewhat undervalued. For example, the cost of detaining one young person in Oberstown is €278,000 per year. On the other hand, when the Football Association of Ireland ran the late night street leagues, the number of call-outs decreased by 49% and the cost was a mere €15,000. The 7% cut in funding for the Sports Council is an almighty blow which will deal a further blow to the key bodies in this area. Does the Minister believe it will set back development of sport in Ireland?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to say we have been able to limit the reduction in funding to the Irish Sports Council to about 3% - not 7% - in 2014 when the council will receive over €42 million.  We are protecting funding for sport as best we can in difficult economic circumstances in recognition of the many continued successes of our sportspeople.  This continued investment indicates the Government’s commitment to sport in all areas.

The funding to the council will allow it to continue to support elite athletes through the high performance programme as they compete internationally.  The year 2013 again saw numerous Irish successes on the international stage. The range of sports involved demonstrates the depth and breadth of sporting talent in Ireland. The performance of Irish athletes internationally both boosts the morale of the country itself and promotes our image internationally, as well as drawing tourists to Ireland from around the world. The funding also supports the work of the national governing bodies of sport in increasing participation rates and a wide range of programmes delivered through the local sports partnerships.

I wish to ensure that all people are encouraged and given opportunities to participate in sport and to enjoy all the benefits that sport can bring through developing a healthy lifestyle, which in turn can produce an economic dividend through reducing costs to the health sector. I am glad to note that adult participation levels are continuing to increase, as can be seen from the latest data available from the Irish Sports Monitor 2013 half-year report. The report shows a continuation of that trend with active participation in sport increasing from 45% to 47% since 2011.

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. While I welcome that it will not be a cut of 7% but will be reduced to 3%, it nevertheless still is a cut. There has been a clear link, for which there is evidence from all over the world, between investment and success in sport. While I grant this should not be the only metric by which one measures the value of sport, there can be no denying how victories, such as that of Robert Heffernan, have been great in lifting the nation. However, such successes require funding that possibly will be hit by the aforementioned cut to funding. Paddy Barnes, Ireland's two-time Olympic medalist, has stated that without more money, Irish boxing is going nowhere. He stated:

It’s the Sports Council’s fault because they need to put money into the IABA in order for them to put boxing out there... It’s the best sport in Ireland but with the budget we get, we can’t even afford to send the girls away to the World Championships. [That is a huge issue.] ... We're training in a 1970s gym more or less and everything has to be modernised... We need the money. Without the money, boxing is going to stay the same as it is.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy mentioned Paddy Barnes, who is turning professional, and I wish him the best of luck. Moreover, I hope he does as well as a professional boxer as he did with the Irish Sports Council, because he has received a substantial amount of money from taxpayers. Moreover, if there is one organisation that cannot complain about the current Government, it is the boxing body. When I came into office in 2011, the Government allocated €1.2 million to make sure facilities could be upgraded nationwide. This year, boxing received an additional €1 million, apart from the money it receives from the Irish Sports Council. Consequently, boxing is a sport the Government has supported very well. I reiterate that I wish Paddy Barnes the best of luck and in a few years time, we will see whether he is better off than he was with the Irish Sports Council. I know of people in many parts of this country who turned professional but I am unsure how well they do. Nevertheless, I wish him the very best of luck. He did this country proud and we were delighted with him.

In response to the question the Deputy asked, the allocation to the Irish Sports Council has been cut by 3% but the overall funding to sport has been increased this year. While one organisation may not have got what it sought, I will provide the Deputy with a few examples. The Government has put €23 million into the sports capital programme, €10.3 million into the local authority swimming pool programme and €15.9 million into the National Sports Campus, as well as €1.74 million in current expenditure. Moreover, the Irish Sports Council will receive €42,496,000. Overall, the total amounts to €93 million, which is the greatest amount of money that has gone into sport. These are difficult economic times and yet the Government has done very well to protect sports funding. While I of course do not like to see any cuts in respect of sport, I always tell my colleagues in government-----

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I will call the Minister of State again.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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-----money put into sport is well invested.

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. I wish to ask a supplementary question on the issue of rates. Both the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park received rates bills that were five times larger than last year, with rates for the Aviva Stadium rising from €437,000 to €2.36 million and those for Croke Park rising from €528,000 to €2.112 million. This issue affects the Gaelic Athletic Association, GAA, the Irish Rugby Football Union, IRFU, and the Football Association of Ireland, FAI, key bodies which involve tens of thousands of people throughout Ireland. These increases will amount to €3.5 million, which is a reduction of more than 50% of the funding these organisations received from the Irish Sports Council last year. This will affect the quality of front-line services these bodies provide in respect of training and programmes. Did the Department take into account the significant increases in rates, for which the IRFU, GAA and FAI would be liable when deciding on the cut to the Irish Sports Council? It certainly should have done.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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On the question of rates, I note discussions are ongoing between Dublin City Council and the aforementioned three major organisations. To be fair to them, they accept they are obliged to pay rates because they are competing with hotels in Dublin by hosting functions and events. While they must of course pay rates, negotiations are taking place between the organisations and the local authority on the amount of rates payable and I believe some deals have been done. However, I reiterate the three bodies in question will admit they must pay rates because they are in business. They host functions and are in competition with hotels and bars, which are obliged to pay rates. As businesses must pay rates, the sporting organisations accept they must pay rates but the amount they must pay is a matter for Dublin City Council. Discussions are under way in this regard but I reiterate these bodies are in business and are competing with the private sector. I might add they are doing very well, as I have attended many events, functions and dinners in both the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park. As the private sector must pay rates, so too must the sporting organisations but I agree with the Deputy. Negotiations are under way and some deals have been done with Dublin City Council. However, I reiterate that while the funding provided by the Department this year to the national governing bodies and to the Irish Sports Council has been reduced by 3%, the overall budget has been increased and I am pleased with that.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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On Question No. 3, Deputy Clare Daly is not in the Chamber.