Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

The Minister will not be accused by anybody of neglecting south Kerry except The Kerryman which, if he does not provide 105% of what is asked for, will bitterly attack him over the missing 5%. That happened to him last year, if I remember rightly, as I happened to be in Kerry at the time.

International competitions in what are called elite sports are important because they encourage interest in sport. When I was younger one might be watching the finals of Wimbledon on a Saturday afternoon. Then one would go to the local club and bash away at the ball. Obviously aspirations to achieve anything remotely like Wimbledon standards did not materialise. Nonetheless, such displays encourage and inspire and it is important to have excellence in different fields of sport to provide standards and example. To encourage people however modest their expertise is worthwhile.

I congratulate the Minister on the Bill, which is another important development, and I wish it well.