Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 324: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the preparations his Department will make during the next year to ensure that Ireland improves its performance in the 2008 Summer Olympics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21417/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Sports Council, which is funded by my Department, works in partnership with the Irish Institute of Sport, the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI), the Paralympic Council of Ireland (PCI) and the relevant governing bodies of sport in the preparation and participation of Irish competitors at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Significant progress has been made to date by all the agencies in preparation for the Beijing Olympics and Paralympic Games and planning is well underway for the final twelve months in the lead up to the Games in 2008.

The Olympic and Paralympic Councils of Ireland are the agencies responsible for the organisation and participation of the Irish teams at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Irish Sports Council provides annual funding to both Councils for administration and programme costs aimed specifically at preparation for the Games. In 2007, the Council allocated total funding of €556,000 to the OCI and €479,000 to the PCI to support their operational costs and Beijing preparation programmes. In the final twelve months to Beijing, the OCI and PCI have responsibility for a number of areas including: team manager training programmes, preparation visits to Beijing by key personnel, heat and acclimatisation strategy, the organisation of multi-sport camps and holding camps in advance of the Games.

Arising from the Sydney Review 2001 and the Athens Review 2005, the Irish Sports Council has introduced many initiatives and programmes to enhance the preparations of Ireland's Olympic and Paralympic athletes. These include: the introduction of structured performance planning with the National Governing Bodies, the introduction of professional coaching and management structures within the sports with the appointment of full-time performance personnel, the review and subsequent revision of the International Carding Scheme, the establishment of the Irish Institute of Sport which has a brief to drive excellence in the development of high performance sport and support services for athletes, the introduction of professional administrative and support structures in the Olympic and Paralympic Councils of Ireland and the establishment of Olympic and Paralympic Performance Committees to ensure optimum cooperation in the preparation and performance of Irish teams.

Since 2004, the Irish Sports Council has allocated a total of €18.6m in high performance funding to 13 focus Olympic and Paralympic sports for performance plans and International Carding Scheme payments. The 13 focus sports in receipt of high performance funding are: Athletics, Boxing, Rowing, Sailing, Equestrian, Canoeing, Cycling, Hockey, Shooting, Swimming, Tennis, Badminton and Paralympic Sport (includes Wheelchair Sport, Cerebral Palsy Sport and Blind Sport).

Funding for the high performance programmes will continue in 2008 with a clear focus on qualification for and participation in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing.