James Bannon (Fine Gael)

It was evident last year that the Government had tightened the purse strings of the Irish Sports Council. The Government's record to date on the provision of recreational facilities and youth clubs for teenagers has been dismal. In particular, community-based groups in larger cities and suburbs claim they are frustrated at the shortage of resources to maintain and expand existing youth services. If these services were in place, we would have less crime.

Given the proven correlation between the provision of youth facilities and the reduction in vandalism and drug and alcohol crime among young people, this is inexcusable, especially now when, like every country in the world, we have a youth obesity problem. It was stated earlier that we have 300,000 overweight children countrywide. It is scandalous that only 4% of school time is allotted to physical education, as opposed to 9% in other OECD countries. The simple reason is that recreational facilities are not in place in 90% of our schools.

The key findings of the new study by the Economic and Social Research Institute, published last week in association with the Irish Sports Council, highlights that sport reaps enormous social benefits, comparable to its benefits as physical exercise, and it stressed that this must be recognised in the levels and patterns of investment in sport. We saw the wonderful spirit engendered in this country during the Special Olympics, yet once the euphoria had died down, so too did the Government's commitment to sports funding. I was most disappointed to hear the Minister refer to the 400,000 volunteers. They will be sick to hear that there is full and plenty and that the Government is congratulating itself on funding facilities for young people. Unless they are aligned to the Fianna Fáil or Progressive Democrats parties, most of the volunteers who are working in sport are disgusted and frustrated at the lack of funding.