Eamonn Coghlan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State is welcome to the House and I am honoured to support the Bill. I congratulate the Minister of State on the passion, commitment and energy he brings to sport in Ireland. My sentiments have also been echoed by many administrators I met over the years while on the board of the Irish Sports Council prior to my nomination to this House. My only fear is that if I were to get on the starting line with the Minister of State, his energy would let him run away with the race. Well done to him.This Bill provides for the merger of the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority into a new body which will be stronger and provide better leadership and direction for sport in Ireland. The Bill also proposes enhanced provisions in respect of anti-doping in Irish sport and designates Sport Ireland as the national anti-doping organisation for the State.

A great many Bills have come before this House, some of which have given rise to heated argument on one side or the other. However, I believe this Bill will receive cross-party support because everybody understands the value of sports to Ireland. Sport is like music, literature or the arts. It transcends society. Regardless of whether we are rich or poor, and whatever our colour, creed or political persuasion, sport defines us as a nation. It is part of our culture. Sport has a tendency to strike the nervous chord like no other pursuit. It tests our emotional well-being. We share the thrills of victory and endure the agonies of defeat, whether it involves Katie, Rory, Padraig, the Dubs, the Kingdom, Mayo or Keano. Success comes from our Rugby players, our soccer teams, the GAA or our athletes. Our latest sports star is Conor McGregor and we cannot forget our Paralympians, Jason Smith and Michael McKillop. We live through their lives and we are with them all the way as they pursue their careers.

Sport fills us with pride and joy. It boosts our morale and helps us to increase productivity. It unites us as a nation. I recall the moment in 1976 when I felt the agony of defeat after finishing fourth in the Olympic Games. A reporter from Sports Illustratedcame to Ireland to write a tourism piece on Eamonn Coghlan's Ireland. The article included a centrefold picture of me running in the Dublin Mountains, with a caption stating that I may have lost a medal in the Olympics but for four minutes I united Ireland. That gave me great pride because Ireland was going through difficult times in the mid-1970s. We revere our sports stars because people understand their Herculean efforts and sacrifices and the discipline they endure to be the best they can. The island of Ireland has punched far above its weight in terms of sporting successes. People ask me how tiny Ireland with a population of 4.5 million managed to produce so many world class men and women. I tell them it is because we are tough and resilient, and we expect nothing but the best.

Sport has contributed to the economy not only by attracting domestic and overseas tourism but also as a cost-effective way of promoting tourism through our international stars when they compete or appear on televisions around the world to speak about Ireland. It also contributes to the health and well-being of our nation. The Minister of State, Deputy Ring, has managed to maintain spending on sports but as our economy improves we should be spending more money on sport because it builds character, instills discipline and increases self-esteem. Irrespective of whether one is a jogger, a plodder or an elite athlete and hero to the nation, through participation in sport one achieves the same results. Sports bring the best from our communities through the contribution of volunteers, coaches, officials, parents and supporters. We cannot put a price on this but we appreciate and value the contributions of volunteers.

I commend the Minister of State on bringing this Bill before the House. When it is passed it will create a statutory body with responsibility for the development, promotion and co-ordination of sport in Ireland, as well as the management, operation and maintenance of the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown. This is part of the Government's programme of rationalisation of State agencies and it is in line with Fine Gael's commitment to reduce the number of Government quangos.

Sport in Ireland has come a long way since the days of Ronnie Delaney, Stephen Roche, Seán Kelly, the 1990 World Cup in Italy and the 1994 World Cup in the United States. I recall being in the Meadowlands in New Jersey 21 years ago, when Ray Houghton scored that wonderful goal. The Irish Sports Council was established in 1999 by the then Fine Gael-led Government. The motto of the Irish Sports Council is believe, perform and achieve. It has performed and achieved since it was established in 1999. Its first strategy report envisaged a new era for sport. From what we called the "shamateur" sporting organisations of the past, we now have a professionally led national governing body thanks to the leadership shown by the Irish Sports Council. The 20 national governing bodies operating under the council's umbrella are more effective in developing their sports and servicing the needs of their membership. They are developing world class strategies, administration and pathways through coaching, education, support for equipment, codes of ethics and anti-doping programmes.

The involvement of women in sport has grown exponentially throughout the years. I refer to the ladies in the Rugby and the wonderful women in the GAA, as well our Katie, our Sonya, our Annalise Murphy, our Derval and even our Stephanie Roche. Coaching Ireland provides wonderful coaching education. The Institute of Sport under the leadership of Gary Keegan is setting the bar extremely high in the delivery of excellence in sports science, sports medicine, career performance, lifestyle, elite coaching and education programmes. It gives me pride and joy to drive past the National Sports Campus and see the monument that has been created to the people of Ireland through the medium of sport. With the various national governing bodies under the same roof, success will breed success. The governing bodies are sharing their knowledge and supporting each other.

This Bill is a win for Ireland and a win for sport. However, the Minister of State faces a difficult task in ending the duplication of administrative functions. We currently have two CEOs and two chairs of two boards. I ask him to outline the process he plans to follow in delivering this reform. Will there be an opportunity for interested outside parties to apply for any of the roles involved, whether on the board or as CEOs? How will the expertise of both the Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority be retained in the leadership of the new body?