Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 38: To ask the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the preparations in place to encourage high quality Irish representation at the London Olympics and the official financial support available for same [36641/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Sports Council (ISC), which is funded by my Department, was established on a statutory basis on 1st July 1999, and the functions of the Council are outlined in Section 6 of the Irish Sports Council Act 1999. Section 6 (1)(a) states that one of the functions of the Council shall be "to encourage the promotion, development and coordination of competitive sport and the achievement of excellence in competitive sport."

In pursuit of its statutory responsibility in this regard, the Irish Sports Council works in partnership with the Olympic Council of Ireland, the Paralympic Council, the Irish Institute of Sport and the relevant national governing bodies of sport, for all matters, including funding, relating to the preparation and participation of Irish competitors at the Olympic Games. The funding required to support these activities is met from the annual grant in aid provided to the Irish Sports Council which in 2010 amounts to €49.572m. Funding in the years leading up to the London 2012 Olympic Games will be finalised in the context of the annual Estimates process, which in respect of 2011, is currently underway.