Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Question 48: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has read the Irish Sports Council's commissioned review of Ireland's Beijing Olympic performance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8644/09]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on whether it is appropriate that two organisations, funded by his Department, are each producing a report on the Beijing Olympics; his further views on whether this is value for money in view of the limited resources of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8535/09]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 70: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on the Beijing review published by the Irish Sports Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8518/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 48, 65 and 70 together.

Both the Irish Sports Council and the Olympic Council of Ireland have recently published reviews on Team Ireland's performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The commissioning of these reviews is a matter for both organisations in the context of their roles in the support of Irish elite athletes.

The Irish Sports Council, which is funded by my Department, has statutory responsibility for encouraging the promotion, development and co-ordination of competitive sport and the achievement of excellence in competitive sport.

The Olympic Council is the agency responsible for the organisation and participation of the Irish team at the Olympic Games and is a member of the International Olympic Committee, the organisation governing the Olympic movement worldwide. The Sports Council provides annual funding to the Olympic Council for administration and programme costs aimed specifically at preparation for the games.

I recently completed a series of meetings with a number of the key stakeholders involved in the support of our elite athletes, including the Irish Sports Council and the Olympic Council, to discuss how we can best build on the success we had in Beijing and the supports required in terms of coaching, programmes, facilities and funding to ensure the optimum performance of Irish athletes at the London 2012. It is my intention that the issues arising from these meetings and the reviews carried out by both organisations will inform the high performance strategy for the London 2012 Games.