Dan Boyle (Green Party)

I propose a slight amendment to the Order of Business, "That leave be granted to introduce No. 13 prior to the taking of No. 1." I ask the Leader to respond to that proposal.

I wish to raise the issue of a conference held in Portlaoise last week by a financial consultancy aimed at those who participate in sports clubs, particularly in urban areas. The focus of the conference was to encourage people involved in the GAA, soccer and rugby clubs to relocate their facilities in the middle of urban areas to suburban and locations well removed from the centre of towns and cities. The holding of this conference is a disturbing development. The House should debate this strategy as it not only will have an environmental impact in terms of people involved in sport, but young people in particular will have to travel longer distances to play sports when recreation and amenity areas and sports grounds are the lungs of our towns and cities. If people are promoting this concept of which clubs are, unfortunately in growing numbers, starting to avail in order to look after their own long-term welfare, there is a responsibility on all of us to say this is a bad development. Appropriate supports need to be put in place for the sports clubs and disincentives introduced to discourage them from following this strategy.