John O'Mahony (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish support a point raised by my colleague, Senator Ó Céidigh, on minority sports in Ireland and specifically the rowers of Ireland, who are now ranked second in the world in terms of their success, despite their lack of funding. They have made the point that depending on when individual rowers qualify, they might not be funded for another six or nine months. Particularly in an Olympic year, they need the resources and funding to prepare properly. One rower, a qualified doctor, had to return to work to fund some of his training. They must pay part of the fee for their training camps abroad. One might compare that with the funding for the Football Association of Ireland, FAI, and the pay-off in the past ten or 15 years to three or four CEOs.In recent years the FAI asked for an advance of its funding - I know it is stopped at the moment - and it was granted. It is ridiculous that rowers preparing for the Olympic Games must wait until the following years. Rowing is just one example of a minority sport that is struggling. It needs increased support.