Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Keaveney for raising this matter and for the opportunity to address the issues involved on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Deputy Mary Hanafin.

Ireland is a founding member of the Council of Europe and the principles of sports policy defined in the Irish Sports Council Act 1999 are based on the Council of Europe's European Sports Charter. Our national anti-doping programme, which is administered by the Irish Sports Council, was established based on the elements of the Council of Europe's Anti-Doping Convention.

As the Senator is aware, sport no longer forms part of the Council of Europe's centrally budgeted activities following the Council's proposal in 2006 to transfer a number of activities, including sport, to partial agreements as a means of finding budgetary savings. This led to the Committee for the Development of Sport being discontinued and the establishment of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport, EPAS, in 2007. The growth of the EU and its increasing engagement with sports issues arising from the specific competence for sport under the Lisbon treaty has also overtaken to some extent the Council of Europe's role in this area. That said, the Council of Europe continues to play an important role in the anti-doping area and currently acts as a forum for a co-ordinated European approach in relation to doping issues, particularly in relation to the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA.

Ireland ratified the Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention in 2003. The convention has been effective in harmonising anti-doping policies and practices and in raising the standard of the anti-doping programmes of its 50 signatory governments. The convention provided a framework for the global UNESCO anti-doping convention which Ireland ratified in 2008.

Article 165 of the Lisbon treaty provides the European Union with a formal competence on sport which will formalise the co-operation and co-ordination between member states. The European Commission has indicated its intention to adopt a new communication setting out its suggested plans and priorities for European Union action to promote European sporting issues. The competence allows for better promotion of sport in other EU policy areas and programmes such as health and education.

In recognition of the growing role of sport within the European Union, in September this year the European Council changed the name of the council in charge of education, youth and culture. Officially it is now called the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council. Sport was discussed for the first time at the council meeting in Brussels in May this year and the next sport council will take place next week in Brussels. I understand that the EPAS is stepping up its co-operation with the European Union and the sports movement through joint projects.

It is recognised that the Council of Europe has played an important role in Irish and European sport policy. As sport no longer forms part of the Council of Europe's centrally budgeted activities, Ireland is not a member of the Council's EPAS at present. The Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport does follow EPAS events and programmes for continued consideration in the context of Irish sport policy. In view of the exceptional economic constraints at present and the need to prioritise developments in relation to the roll-out of the EU sports provisions established by the Lisbon treaty, the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport has insufficient resources to expand involvement to direct participation in the EPAS at present.