Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Deputy Hanafin. Sport plays a unique role in people's lives and never more so than in today's hectic environment. Everywhere we go, we see thousands of people involved in playing, coaching and administering the demanding and often complex area of sport. Active participation in sport and physical recreation contributes enormously to the physical and mental well-being of the individual and, by extension, of the entire community.

Its value to the nation simply cannot be over-emphasised in raising our health levels, helping to give us a sense of ourselves and boosting our morale. Sedentary lifestyles are widespread in Ireland and throughout the world. The challenge now and for the foreseeable future is to extend people's health expectancy or years of life free from illness or disability. There is a strong belief that sport has the potential to enrich the lives of all people and no one should feel that he or she could not benefit from physical activity.

Physical activity can have important benefits, not just for the individual but also for society. Sport can be promoted as an alternative to anti-social behaviour, but more than that, it develops the personal skills of individuals. Values such as tolerance, self-discipline, team spirit and strength of character are demanded, practised and promoted. In this way, sport serves as an indispensable educational tool in schools and colleges and in the wider community.

Given the benefits associated with sporting activities, the Government regards expenditure on sport as important for the social and economic development of the country. As mentioned, these benefits arise in a wide range of areas, including health and well-being, social and cultural development, education, personal development, tourism and the economy. It can also play a valuable role in tackling social exclusion, and this is particularly true for young people.

The Irish Sports Council has a statutory role in the promotion, development and co-ordination of sport. The council is funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport and has received more than €366 million in funding since it was set up in July 1999. The allocation in 2010 is almost €50 million. The Irish Sports Council was established on a statutory basis on 1 July 1999 and the functions of the council are outlined in section 6 of the Irish Sports Council Act 1999. The key functions are encouraging the promotion, development and co-ordination of competitive sport; developing strategies for increasing participation in recreational sport and co-ordinating their implementation by all Irish bodies involved in promoting recreational sport and providing recreational sport facilities; facilitating good standards of conduct and fair play in both competitive and recreational sport; combating doping in sport; initiating and encouraging research concerning competitive or recreational sport; and facilitating research and disseminating information concerning competitive or recreational sport.

The two primary functions are the promotion, development and co-ordination of competitive and recreational sport. Section 6(1)(a) of the Irish Sports Council Act 1999 provides that one of the functions of the council is "to encourage the promotion, development and co-ordination of competitive sport and the achievement of excellence in competitive sport". Section 6(1)(b) provides that the council has responsibility for developing "strategies for increasing participation in recreational sport and to co-ordinate their implementation by all bodies (including public authorities and publicly funded bodies) involved in promoting recreational sport and providing recreational facilities". In that regard, the Irish Sports Council has been central to developing sporting ability leading to high performance, while at the same time driving participation levels in conjunction with the national governing bodies of sport, local sports partnerships, the Irish Institute of Sport, Coaching Ireland and the Olympic and Paralympic Councils.

Specific elements of the participation strategy of which Senators may be aware which continue to be implemented by the council include the development and implementation of the code of ethics and code of practice for children's sport in Ireland; the Buntús programme; the support of the national governing bodies of sport, including the three major field sports, the GAA, the FAI and the IRFU; the women in sport initiative; sports inclusion development officers and the go for life programme. On the high performance front, the Irish Sport Council initiatives include high performance funding and performance planning; the international carding scheme; the Team Ireland Golf Trust and the Irish Institute of Sport.

The Minister informs me there are no plans to amend the legislation, but I will bring the Senator's comments to her attention for her consideration.