Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for being present to take this Bill, which, in general, I welcome.

I will not delay the Minister of State or the House in making my contribution. I know the Minister of State is an open and fair-minded person. I know how he deals with bodies and have seen him in action. I have only one plea to make to him, namely, that sports organisations be permitted to be part of the new charities regime as proposed in the Bill. That is my one plea to him. That is the reason I requested time to say a few words on this matter.

As we know, and as was referred to, sports organisations are currently specifically excluded, as the Bill is drafted. Bodies established and existing for the sole purpose of promoting athletic or amateur games or sports are specifically excluded. The Minister of State will know, as we all do, how important to the life and health of the nation are all our sports bodies and activities and the wonderful work that is being done. The Federation of Irish Sports and all the bodies it represents, including the Golfing Union of Ireland, seven members of which are present in the Gallery, strongly made the point that sport has a key role to play in the promotion of health and the prevention of disease in Irish society. Research by the ESRI and others has found that participants in physical activity are the equivalent of 14 years younger in health terms. I only wish I was better at sport. The Minister of State will understand the point I am making.

Sport is a primary vehicle for active citizenship and volunteerism in Irish society, with an estimated 15% of the adult population of Ireland volunteering for sporting activity in the course of each year. This has been recognised in the report of the task force on active citizenship. Sport advances community welfare and development. That is recognised in the National Development Plan 2007-2013, which acknowledges the importance of sport to the social infrastructure. Page 222 of that document states: "Participation in sport, whether at the level of competitive sport, recreational sport or active leisure activity can yield physical and psychological well-being as well as fostering social development both in terms of the individual and the community." It goes on to recognise the role of sport in building stronger communities. We all know that is true in our communities, whether through the input of the GAA or soccer, rugby or golf clubs and so on.

Obtaining charitable status for sporting organisations is vital. I am sure the Minister of State has received representations from the various sports. The designation of such status is vital to sporting organisations because failure to allow it will prevent sporting organisations — the vast majority of which operate with limited financial resources and are heavily reliant on Government funding for grants, administered by the Irish Sports Council — from accessing various fundraising streams, including philanthropy, legacy giving, charitable bequests and so on. Not granting sporting organisations such status will also exclude them from many soft benefits associated with charitable status, including eligibility for grants and corporate social responsibility programmes. Furthermore, it will deny sporting organisations the legitimacy that will derive from the improved regulatory regime laid out in this Bill in regard to charitable organisations.

I do not want to repeat what I have said, but such a measure is one that all of us, including the Minister of State, consider vital. I greatly look forward to the Minister of State's response. Perhaps on Committee Stage he will be able to facilitate this request by the insertion of an appropriate amendment. I believe in his own heart and mind he would agree that such a measure would be worthwhile. It would be good not only for the sporting organisations but for the life and health of all communities throughout the country. I believe I can trust in what the Minister of State will do. I hope he will give this matter favourable consideration.