Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

What I do not want is to tie the hands of the new sports body. There are enough controls in that there will be discussions between Department officials and the new body. I would expect that guidelines will be drawn up and that there will be discussions with the Department before it could hire consultants. That is the whole point of this. There would have to be a policy decision by the Minister and Department to ensure it is something that cannot be done in-house. I do not know what might arise in the future and do not want to tie its hands. When a problem arises, it must have the power to deal with it.

The Senator would have to agree that at least we are tightening up on this. It is very difficult to tie it down and put a figure on it in any particular year. One year it might want less than the figure set out. If we put a figure in the legislation, it will feel it has to spend it as it will not want to give money back. I do not want it to hire consultants for the sake of it. Each year it will sit down with the Minister and Department officials and will devise a policy. There may be some issue that will come up we cannot foresee.