Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 126: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if a new chief executive has been appointed to the Irish Institute of Sport; if there are plans to appoint a chief executive to this organisation; if a decision has been taken on the independent status of the organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2262/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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In 2006, the Government approved the establishment of the Irish Institute of Sport. The Institute has been working with the national governing bodies of sport and the elite athletes in ensuring that they have available to them the most up-to-date supports as they prepare to represent Ireland at international events and the Olympic Games. As Deputies will be aware, the Executive Chairperson, Mr Sean Kelly resigned recently. I would like to take this opportunity to place on the record my thanks for the work that he did to bring the Institute to its current position.

It was the intention to introduce legislation to enable the Irish Sports Council to establish subsidiaries and that the Institute would be given such legal status. However, in responding to the OECD Report on Public Sector Reform and in particular to its recommendations on the number of agencies involved in public administration, I have decided not to establish the Institute as a subsidiary of the ISC. This has not deflected the Institute from carrying on with its important work. I met with the Institute staff recently and was very impressed with the work that they are doing on behalf of our elite athletes.

I will be having discussions with the ISC on the best structure for the Institute as we plan for the Olympic Games in London in 2012 when the council's review of the Bejing Olympic Games is completed and I have completed my meetings with the relevant sporting bodies about how best to structure on high performance supports delivery mechanisms.