Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A Chathaoirleach, a Sheanadóiri, I am taking this business today as my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring, is in Milan on official business related to the Giro d'Italia, which I will speak about later on.

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I am committed to increasing and developing participation and interest in sport, improving standards of performance and developing sports facilities, all of which contribute to a healthier society and an improved overall quality of life. I strongly believe that sport has the potential to enrich the lives of all people and we should all recognise the benefits that we can gain from being active and striving for better performance.

This year, the sports and recreation services programme accounts for 6% of my Department's budget. This programme's allocation has increased by 28% on 2013, mainly as a result of the additional funding of €11.5 million voted under the Government stimulus plan for the sports capital programme and the allocation of €13 million towards the development of the indoor arena at the National Sports Campus.

This is a very significant investment in Irish sport and a strong indication of our commitment as a Government. Funding from my Department to the Irish Sports Council for this year is €42.5 million, a marginal decease on the figure for last year. The focus of this spending is on increasing participation in sport and physical activity. This is one of the key objectives of my Department and I am very aware of the considerable efforts the governing bodies and sports partnerships are making in encouraging greater participation. In 2013 this investment resulted in over 200,000 people participating in locally delivered programmes, an additional 20,000 participants taking part in the Women in Sport programme and over 700,000 children taking part in youth field sports across the country. I will continue to work with the Irish Sports Council to ensure there is significant progress in the provision of sporting opportunities for young people.

The health and social benefits of sport are widely recognised. One of the most urgent health issues in Ireland is obesity, with research showing that 38% of Irish people are overweight and 23% are obese. A worrying aspect is that one in four children carries excess weight and it is clear that an increase in participation in sport and physical activity, added to diet control and greater personal responsibility, would greatly benefit the overall health of the country and lower costs to the health sector. I am encouraged by the latest data which show an increase in the number participating in sport. The overwhelming role of Government policy is to increase participation in sport. Trophies and medals are important, but they are not as important as having the broader population participate in sport. Figures from the Irish Sports Monitor for the first half of 2013 show that participation in sport and physical activity in Ireland continues to increase, having increased from 45% in 2011 to 47% in 2013. I would love to claim credit for this, but I do not think that would be honest, as we cannot put it all down to Government policy. Lifestyles are changing and most people are becoming more health conscious, although there is a sub-group who do not care about their health. People have a little more time on their hands, probably as a result of the economic downturn. Certainly, they have less money in their pockets than they used to and perhaps they are taking up walking and individual sports more than they would have in the past. However, Government policies are helping and investing in sport is producing a real return. We will continue to work to increase this figure further. The Eurobarometer for sport, published last week by the European Commission, shows that Ireland is slightly ahead of the European average for those who exercise regularly or play sport. It also shows that Ireland is below average, for both men and women, when it comes to those who have sedentary lifestyles and never, or seldom, exercise or play sport.

Last year was an exceptional one for high performance sport in Ireland, with 67 medals achieved at world and European events. This is a record and I am sure 2014 will also be a good year for our sports people. We are lucky to have a host of talented and highly skilled sportsmen and women who are reaching the top levels across a wide range of sports.

I know Senators on all sides of the House will join me in acknowledging the value and role of the sports capital programme. It is vital for sports organisations to be able to provide modern fit-for-purpose facilities to encourage and support participation and high performance across a range of sports at various locations throughout the country. One of the key features of the programme is that it helps to take some of the pressure off sports organisations by providing much needed finance to assist in the completion of capital projects.

My Department was delighted to make allocations of €31 million in the 2012 round of the programme. This was the first round of grants since 2008, when the programme was suspended. We were also delighted to be able to make changes to the programme in 2012 to make it accessible to more clubs and organisations than ever before, particularly those which did not have their own clubhouse, pitch or land and which were unable to avail of it previously. These changes led to a record number of 2,170 applications in 2012, a number that showed that that round of the programme was very much needed. With such a high demand, it was never going to be possible to fund all applications. Finite resources can only stretch so far and I appreciate some clubs were disappointed. Such disappointment is understandable and natural. However, this is the business of government - allocating scarce resources to meet competing needs. In 2012 almost 500 eligible applications did not secure any funding. It is important to emphasise that submitting a valid application did not in any way guarantee funding in 2012 owing to the high demand. There was simply not enough money available to fund all of the good projects submitted, but as part of the scoring system for this round, we are giving additional points to clubs which have not benefited from the programme in the past.

As Senators will be aware, provision was made in the most recent budget for another round of the programme, with allocations to meet demand. The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring, announced the latest round of the programme earlier this year, with €40 million available for allocation, a 33% increase on the figure for the previous programme. The 2014 round of the programme has allowed sports organisations for the since second time since the Government took office to apply for funding for essential works such as new changing rooms, pitches, lighting, sports equipment and other projects. It means that clubs which missed out in the last round can make another application and provide jobs in their local communities. There are more than 2,000 applications in total, another clear sign of the continuing high demand and need for sports capital funding. All of this funding for sport is against the background of ongoing budget cuts. It demonstrates in the most tangible manner the Government's commitment to sport and clear understanding of the value of sport to the economy and the nation's health and morale.

The programme for Government includes a commitment that event tourism will be prioritised in order to continue to bring major events to Ireland. The hosting of major sports events, both participative and spectator sports, can provide a great showcase for Ireland and drive international visitor numbers. The media coverage of sports tourism events helps to put Ireland on travel itineraries as a holiday destination. Accordingly, I am supportive of the ongoing efforts of the tourism agencies and the national governing bodies of sport to attract international events, subject, of course, to an assessment of the costs and benefits involved in providing any State financial support, in particular, the number of overseas visitors they will attract.

Other important sports events take place each year, for example, the GAA all-Ireland series, the six nations rugby championship which brings in significant numbers of visitors from overseas without any need for State support and the Irish Open golf tournament. Where appropriate, the tourism bodies work with these and other sports bodies to maximise the tourism benefits of events. For example, the Irish Open receives significant support from Fáilte Ireland as its main sponsor. Tourism Ireland is the body responsible for promoting in overseas markets the island of Ireland as a visitor destination. Working closely with Fáilte Ireland, it is promoting key sports events taking place in 2014, including the visit of the Giro d'ltalia cycle race which I mentioned and the Croke Park Classic American football game between the University of Central Florida and Penn State which is happening at the end of August. It is our ambition to host a college football game at least every second year in Dublin, following the Notre Dame-Navy game two years ago. NFL games are played regular at Wembley. We have not managed to secure an NFL game for Ireland, but we now intend to target college football games and have one played, perhaps in Dublin, every other year, if not every year.

Senators will be aware that in November last the Government considered a memorandum on a bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2023. While the memorandum identified a number of challenges, the great potential of the event is also clear. Hosting it on a cross-Border basis in 2023 would be a significant opportunity for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is probably the biggest event we could host on the island. In response to the memorandum the Government expressed strong support for the proposal. In order to progress the matter further, on 22 January the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring, and I met the Northern Ireland Ministers, Ms Arlene Foster and Carál Ní Chuilín, who are responsible for tourism and sport, respectively, in the Northern Ireland Executive. We agreed to establish a working group to examine some key issues and report back to us in the summer. The working group, chaired by Mr. Hugo MacNeill, has held two meetings already, with the next meeting scheduled to take place on 11 April. I look forward to receiving its report.

More immediately, the focus of the cycling world will be on Ireland next month with the Giro d'ltalia "Big Start". There will be three days of pre-race celebrations in Belfast, followed by spectacular opening stages in Northern Ireland, before racing from Armagh to Dublin. The giro's choice of Ireland for the Grande Partenzais historic. The famous landscapes of Ireland, North and South, will be on view via the global television broadcast coverage the giro achieves and the economic benefits the event will generate will be immediate. I pay tribute to the efforts of the Northern Ireland Executive, in particular, the Minister, Ms Foster, for her determination to secure the Giro D'ltalia in 2014 and the support being provided for the event via the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. The Irish Government, through Fáilte Ireland, is also supporting the Giro D'ltalia visit and I also wish to acknowledge the support being provided by Dublin City Council for the event.

Work is continuing on the development of facilities at the National Sports Campus at Blanchardstown. When they are completed, the National Sports Campus will provide world-class training facilities and support systems for Ireland's elite sports people, offering facilities that will compare favourably with the best internationally.

A number of new facilities were opened in the past year, including a world-class national horse sport arena, a national modern pentathlon centre, a national diving training centre and a multi-sport synthetic pitch facility. Sports headquarters houses the offices of 20 sporting bodies. The FAI has located its headquarters on the campus, which also houses the National Aquatic Centre and the Institute of Sport. For the first time, athletes, specifically the swimmers, are also living on campus.

I recently had the pleasure of turning the sod for the development of pitches by the FAI and the GAA. Facilities that are commencing development this year include a high-performance training facility at the Institute of Sport building and two community turf pitches. A very significant development is the commencement of work on the national indoor arena, which is one of the few major pieces of national sporting infrastructure for elite athletes in Ireland that remain to be built. While we have an excellent indoor track in Athlone, on which I have had the opportunity to run, the indoor arena will be more accommodating in that it will provide indoor facilities for 30 different sports. This project has been made possible by the funding provided by the Government from the proceeds of the sale of the national lottery licence. The arena will include indoor athletic and gymnastics facilities as well as a multi-sport indoor training hall. I acknowledge the support of the Taoiseach and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for making funding available for the project. I hope that it will be possible to continue developing facilities in the coming years, including, for example, a velodrome and a badminton arena.

In regard to the important issue of education, I welcome the fact that physical education will become an examinable short course subject in the new junior certificate. I hope it can also become an exam subject for the leaving certificate in the way that art and music are currently examined. I understand the national curriculum advisory committee and the Minister for Education and Skills are open to this.

Senator Eamonn Coghlan spoke about the development of sports hubs, which is something I favour. I have seen how the centre sportifmodel and the municipal sports centres operate in France. That is a good model. This round of the sports capital programme awards additional points to clubs, local authorities and others where they are willing to share facilities or form joint partnerships with schools and other sporting bodies. For a long time that could not happen in Ireland because of the GAA's views on what it referred to as garrison games. Separate facilities were developed around the country for that reason, which is regrettable. If I was able to start all over again - perhaps my successor might do this - I would like to ring-fence a small capital budget of €3 million or €4 million to build one municipal sports centre every year. Just as we are currently building one new coastguard station every year, we could ring-fence money to build a centre sportifevery year. It would be a slow process but we would have 20 of them in 20 years' time. We would probably need to identify a sports body or local authority that would act as an anchor tenant, but it could be a good model.

I agree with Senator Ó Murchú on the contribution that sport makes to personal well-being. I have discovered in the last few years how a simple run in the park can clear one's head. One sometimes comes home having made a decision. It might not be the right one but one is comfortable with it, having had time to escape the Blackberry and the iPhone. Throughout the darkest times of the recession, sporting achievements helped to lift national morale. I also concur with the Senator regarding what the GAA does for the Irish diaspora. Whenever I travel abroad I try to link in with the local GAA club because it is fascinating to see how many people who previously had no involvement in Gaelic games or interest in the GAA while they lived in Ireland discover the GAA when they end up in Singapore or Seoul. The GAA club is a de factoconsulate for Ireland in places where we have no representation.

I would be cautious about the Senator's suggestion that every euro invested in sport delivers a return of €3 or €4. We always hear lobby groups and NGOs produce Jack and the Beanstalk research of this nature. If it was true, we could invest €1 billion in sport and heritage and with the €4 billion returned we would have no deficit. The reality is that there is considerable deadweight when investing in anything. If the Government put nothing into sport, there would still be the Six Nations and the All-Ireland championship. By and large, the Government invests in areas of sport that do not generate an economic return. That is why Government investment is necessary. Many sports do not need governmental support and we want to invest in areas that probably do not generate particularly large economic returns. The exception might be sports tourism, where we make the calculation that the amount we invest will be less than the return.

I assure the House that the Government will continue its work to increase participation in sport, improve and develop sports facilities and promote Ireland internationally. I thank Senators for their continued support and interest in this matter.