John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)

There is nothing new in recognising the value of sport in society. The Romans used the phrase "mens sano in corpore sano", a healthy mind in a healthy body. This is as true today as it was when first used and maybe even more so. It is important that young people and adults play some kind of sport and this is why all sports should be promoted by the Government. There is an important health dimension to be considered and this has been recognised by successive Governments, including the current one.

Senator John Paul Phelan made an important statement on the provision of playgrounds. Over the course of several years, I engaged in a campaign in Kildare County Council to expand the provision of playgrounds. Some have been provided but county councils in general have been very lackadaisical in this respect. I encountered all sorts of excuses for not doing a job that should be done, including the cost of insurance.

We can compete at the very highest levels internationally in many sports. We do so successfully in golf, racing and other equestrian sports, rugby, cycling, soccer and even angling, which I regard as a sport. One of the great success stories, which many sports organisations could consider with a view to furthering their own activities, concerns the provision of facilities at greyhound racing tracks. It was achieved very simply through the provision of a basic model at each track. In other words, the facilities are very similar at many of the tracks and the size tends to be the same everywhere. Sports organisations should learn that a standard plan can be implemented at all facilities. Everyone involved in the greyhound racing developments has done a wonderful job. The chairman and Minister must be congratulated. It is a model for other sports.

During the summer there was much talk about the Olympics. I noted almost daily that RTE correspondents were almost disappointed if there was not another failure about which to complain. It must be said that those who get to the Olympics achieve a remarkable goal and are among the world's elite, yet we are disappointed if they do not win a gold medal. I suppose this says something about our expectations. It is wonderful if one of our athletes gets to the Olympics and I know the Olympic Council of Ireland and the Minister are working to this end, but we need to have a sense of proportion.

The almost daily announcements on RTE about the failures of our athletes occurred because it had built them up in the first place. This is unfair on the athletes and everybody associated with them. Some of the greatest athletes in the world became such by running up and down sand dunes in New Zealand, for example. They did not need stadia or facilities. Bearing this in mind, consider the Ethiopians and what one Christian Brother was able to do for athletes in Kenya.

I agree with Senators Ryan and Mansergh that people are too liberal in telling the GAA what it should do. We should not tell it what to do but we are entitled to have a view. It is up to the organisation to make its own decisions but it would be marvellous to see Ireland stuff England in rugby in Croke Park. Even Michael Cusack would get up and applaud it. That is what I want to see. It would be most unfortunate if an Irish team were forced to play in Cardiff during the reconstruction of Lansdowne Road, not only from the sporting point of view but also from the financial point of view.