Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Seanad. Bionn tú anseo go minic.

As spokesperson for my party in the Seanad on tourism and sport, I am glad to contribute to the debate and congratulate my Labour Party colleagues on this initiative. As the Minister of State noted, Special Olympics Ireland receives funding from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport through the Irish Sports Council. Corporate entities are also an important source of funding. I am aware that Special Olympics Ireland also engages in a great deal of fund-raising throughout the year. Next year we will have the Ireland games in Limerick, as has been stated by my colleagues, and in 2015 the world summer games will take place in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, funding has been reduced for Special Olympics Ireland in recent years. I am aware that Special Olympics Ireland claims its funding has been reduced by almost 60% since 2008, which is significant. The level of funding was €3 million in 2008 and this year it has been reduced to €1.2 million. Special Olympics Ireland maintains that it costs approximately €6 million per annum to run the organisation; there is, therefore, apparently, a significant shortfall in funding requirements, which is unfortunate.

Special Olympics Ireland states it has attracted 5,500 athletes since the famous games held in Croke Park in 2003. I am glad to hear today that it has been the most successful Special Olympics games held in the entire world and congratulate all those who were involved. The organisation has opened 17 new clubs in the past year alone. In the year before the Special Olympics in 2003 there were 2,000 volunteers and I note that number has now increased to 25,000, with some saying it is 30,000. This is a significant contribution on a voluntary basis and should be acknowledged.

I note that there are 42,000 people in Ireland with an intellectual disability, of whom I am glad to see 30% participate in sporting activities. People with disabilities have no great say in how the disability budget is spent, as money is allocated on a block grant basis to service providers, with people with disabilities expected to fit into the model. It is not the way forward, as there are many excellent service providers, and it is absolutely essential that people with disabilities should have a great say in choosing the services of which they wish to avail and have State funds allocated to such services. The Minister of State has recently announced that the Government is progressing with a new funding model which I understand gives more power to people with disabilities in making their own decisions on where money is needed and how it should be spent. The days of allocating block money grants to service providers should be coming to an end and I welcome the Government's advancement of the new initiative. It is important to say that despite political arguments to the contrary, there will be no additional charges or further reductions in funding imposed on people with disabilities, but perhaps the Minister of State might confirm this.

As has been noted by colleagues, in 2003 Ireland hosted the most successful world Special Olympic Games in history, which was a major achievement. On a weekly basis, Special Olympics Ireland offers a year-round programme of sports and training facilities to over 11,000 individuals, including youths and those who are not so young. I commend the Minister of State for the support of Special Olympics Ireland and the work done to seek to ensure an enhanced quality of life generally for people with disabilities. In particular, there have been initiatives for adults and children with intellectual disabilities.

I wish Special Olympics continued success in the years ahead and every success in the forthcoming Irish games in Limerick next year. I also wish the athletes well for the summer games to be held in Los Angeles in 2015.