Sports Funding.

4. Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the advice he can offer a person (details supplied) in County Dublin who is hoping to compete at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and is currently wholly funded by her family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7414/99]

I understand the person referred to by the Deputy is a swimmer. Sports specific criteria for swimming have still to be developed under the carding scheme. The AGM of the Swimming Association took place on 24 January 1999 when the IASA, the previous governing body for the sport, was disbanded and a new swimming body, Swim Ireland, was formally established, I understand that certain progress has been made and a further general meeting of the organisation is planned for April next, when a new executive is due to be voted in and appointed. I have stressed to the new body that as soon as the wider membership have expressed their satisfaction that appropriate steps have been taken to address the issues highlighted by the Murphy report on the incidence of child sexual abuse in swimming, I will be in a position to restore funding to the organisation.

In the interim, having regard to the situation of individual swimmers, I have agreed that the Irish Sports Council will commence preparatory work on developing sports specific criteria for swimming in the context that the sport may be included in the 1999 carding scheme. This provides a mechanism whereby, in the event that funding is restored, there should be no delay in awarding funding to individual swimmers who qualify for inclusion in the scheme by reference to the sports specific criteria as developed.

The person referred to by the Deputy should keep in touch with Swim Ireland and in another reply to the House today I have encouraged all members of the new body, constituent clubs, and affiliates to participate wholeheartedly in the preparations for, and the conduct of, the upcoming AGM to ensure confidence in the organisation of the sport is restored.

Mr. Sargent: Does the Minister agree an elite swimmer, referred to in the question, is effectively penalised for the mismanagement and totally unacceptable behaviour of those involved in the sport in the past. Will funding be restored to the elite swimmers themselves or will they have to wait until Swim Ireland is effectively up and running? Will the Minister ensure the guidelines for funding of elite swimmers will be restored on an equitable basis so that each one on the team will be able to benefit from funding? At present swimmers have to fund from their own resources training trips to Arizona and England. Does the Minister consider this acceptable when they are under enormous strain and expectations are put on them?

Dr. McDaid: I would like to see a new beginning for Swim Ireland and a new generation of leaders in swimming. The Deputy must understand that it is impossible for me to distinguish between the elite swimmers and the children. I refuse to fractionalise so that I would be seen to look after the elite and not the younger swimmers.

Organisations are made up of individuals and it is up to the individuals to put their houses in order and as soon as I am satisfied that children's safety is looked after I will be in a position to restore funding to the organisation. We tend to forget what happened, there was horrific child sexual abuse and it was happening in the schools. I do not want to hold back funding for a particular swimmer, but it is up to the organisation to put its house in order. Swim Ireland will hold its AGM in April. I want each club to encourage people to allow their names go forward for positions. Membership of clubs is not confined to children, parents can join, pay a fee of £5 or £10 a year and go as a delegate to the AGM. If parents are interested in their children, they can go as delegates to the AGM and exercise their democratic rights. That is why I want to see a new beginning and a new generation becoming involved in Swim Ireland but that is a matter for the organisation, I cannot become involved.

As regards the swimmer mentioned by the Deputy, I want to be able to restore funding to all areas of swimming as soon as possible. As regards the carding system which did not include swimming, I have asked the Sports Council of Ireland to draw up the criteria under which these swimmers will qualify for it. I introduced this system last year. The grant provided depends on an athlete's world ranking. We have the best carding system in Europe and Irish athletes get higher grants than those from any other European country. If an athlete is ranked between first and third in the world he or she receives the full grant, which is £25,000. The payments are graduated through to juveniles and people with disabilities. When the organisation is set up the person mentioned can apply for funding through it. There is a scale of payments so he should know how much he would receive, based on his world ranking. If the organisation puts itself in order, I assure the Deputy that the payments will be retrospective.

Mr. Sargent: Will there be an equitable distribution among the top swimmers in the team? Each makes the same journey and has the same expenditure. In advance of Swim Ireland qualifying for the scheme, does the Minister favour a policy similar to that in other countries, under which elite athletes and swimmers are given credit for their sporting attainments and are able to go to university in their own country? In Ireland they must choose between their sport and their studies but that does not happen in the North or the US. Will he consider working with his colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, to ensure top athletes are given credit for the time and effort put into their sport?

Dr. McDaid: If a national organisation intends to enter a team in an international competition, it submits its plan for the year to the Sports Council in January of that year, and that plan includes the cost of the team's participation. The carding system applies to individual athletes. The team may be made up of four people with different places in the world ranking who would receive different levels of grant aid.

Dr. McDaid: I am talking about the grants they receive. I agree there should be equity. As regards the education system, I would like to see what the Deputy suggests and I am sure I could discuss that matter with the Minister for Education and Science. We had a problem heretofore in that we did not have training facilities for elite athletes. I hope the 50 metre pool will be built soon and preparations are advanced but as the Deputy is aware the matter is before the courts and, consequently, progress is stalled. I understand the next court hearing is on 12 May. Our swimmers have to develop in their teens and I hope we can provide a 50 metre pool to facilitate their training and education in Ireland, so that they do not have to go abroad.

Mr. Allen: The Minister has all-party support in stamping out the evil of sex abuse in sport, in this case, swimming. However, does he not think the decision to deny funding to top class athletes over the last 12 months was a serious error of judgment? With hindsight, does he not agree he should have accepted the suggestion, put forward by myself and others, that he should have continued to fund those athletes through the Sports Council of Ireland while the swimming body was being re-organised? Is he aware that his failure to fund these athletes has jeopardised their preparation for the Sydney Olympics and affected their performance at events across the world, and that some athletes have been forced to sleep on floors and stay in hostels because he terminated their funding?

The Minister expressed equal concern for funding young people as for funding top class athletes. Can he reconcile that statement with his Department's refusal to fund the Irish Schools' Swimming Association's quadrangular international tournament?

An Ceann Comhairle: The Deputy is widening enormously the scope of his question, which related to an individual.

Mr. Allen: It was the Minister who broadened it through his response.

An Ceann Comhairle: The Minister is entitled to make whatever response he likes.

Mr. Allen: I am not entitled to ask any questions which arise?

An Ceann Comhairle: It is not open to the Deputy to widen the scope of the question to the extent he is now attempting to do. I have allowed a certain amount of latitude but there are other questions on the Order Paper to be dealt with. If the Deputy wishes to pursue this line I suggest he put down a separate parliamentary question.

Mr. Allen: I have a problem if the Minister can range widely and give whatever answer he wants and I must accept what he says.

An Ceann Comhairle: The Deputy has a solution to that problem, he can put down another question. I have allowed him enormous scope and we have already spent 14 minutes on this question, which concerns one individual.

Mr. Allen: This is my first supplementary question.

An Ceann Comhairle: Yes but it is a long question. We must go on to other questions and we cannot spend this long on an individual question.

Mr. Allen: Perhaps the Minister can reply to the questions I have raised.

Dr. McDaid: The Deputy may be satisfied with the elite area but I am not. I will not fund the elite athletes and neglect the children.

Mr. Allen: No one is asking him to do that, it is not a question of one or the other. The Minister is taking a simplistic, narrow-minded approach. The innocent are suffering and they had no hand, act or part in this scandal.

Dr. McDaid: I do not differentiate, my priority has always been the safety of children who swim. In answer to the second question, I do not accept the performance of our athletes has been hindered by my decision.

Mr. Allen: The Minister must be blind and deaf if he thinks that. He has not heeded the complaints.

Dr. McDaid: The swimmer who was reportedly sleeping on a mattress was one of only two who were funded by the Olympic Council of Ireland. I do not know how much funding he received. The OCI made a great deal of the fact that they were funding swimmers but if this man ended up sleeping on the floor of a flat in Europe, how much did the OCI give him?

Mr. Allen: What funding did the Minister give him?

Dr. McDaid: As regards funding for schools, the Deputy forgets it was in the clubs attached to schools that sexual abuse took place. I do not regret any of the decisions I made.

Mr. Allen: On a point of order, the Minister has made a serious allegation.

An Ceann Comhairle: That is not a point of order.

Mr. Allen: I will ask a question then. Will the Minister withdraw the serious allegation he made against the Irish Schools' Swimming Association which is separate to Swim Ireland, the body involved in the sex scandal? Will he withdraw the slur and insult he has just uttered against the Irish Schools' Swimming Association which has a separate constitution and separate officers, who are mainly reputable secondary school teachers, and-----

An Ceann Comhairle: The Deputy is making a statement. I call on the Minister to make a final comment.

Mr. Allen: -----which has failed to obtain funding from the Minister-----

An Ceann Comhairle: The Deputy should resume his seat, he is making a long statement. This is Question Time.

Mr. Allen: -----in respect of an international swimming competition to be held in Galway in two weeks' time.

Dr. McDaid: I am amazed by the Deputy's comments.

Mr. Allen: The Minister is a disgrace. He should withdraw the allegation.

Dr. McDaid: It is the children in our schools who I am determined to try to protect. I will not restore funding until I obtain a guarantee that the children participating in swimming are safe. I reiterate that the sexual abuse took place in clubs attached to the schools.

Mr. Allen: That is a different matter.

Dr. McDaid: My priorities are the schools and the safety of children and I see no reason to withdraw my comments because I did not utter any slur or insult.

Mr. Allen: Does the Minister intend to provide the association with the funding to which I referred?

Tourist Accommodation.

5. Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if his attention has been drawn to the situation whereby all houses offering bed and breakfast accommodation to tourists in Northern Ireland have to be licensed; and the way in which he will deal with this anomaly in view of the fact the Ireland is now being marketed on an all-island basis. [7020/99]

21. Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the plans, if any, he has to introduce a licensing system for guest accommodation in view of the call by the Irish Hotels Federation to introduce this system to eliminate unfair competition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7372/99]

Dr. McDaid: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 21 together.

There is already in place an extensive system of registration and listing of guest accommodation in accordance with standards set by Bord Fáilte. One of Bord Fáilte's functions is the registration of certain types of tourist accommodation such as hotels, guesthouses, holiday cottages, holiday apartments and holiday hostels. Arising from the implementation of the recommendations of the review of Bord Fáilte carried out by consultants, A. D. Little Limited in 1994, the inspection activities associated with these functions were contracted to a third party, Tourism Quality Services Limited. In addition, Bord Fáilte's system of approval for listing accommodation in the bed and breakfast sector was also out-sourced to industry associations formally recognised by Bord Fáilte as self-regulatory bodies, on the basis that they apply Bord Fáilte agreed standards.

The issue of compulsory licensing of all tourist accommodation has been examined by successive Administrations and they have all reached the same conclusion that any compulsory system, in order to be effective, would require a significant diversion of resources currently devoted to the development of tourism towards administration and policing. This would be particularly burdensome because many accommodation providers only operate for short periods of the year.

In recent years there has been a substantial increase in the volume and range of tourist accommodation which has enhanced the choice available to tourists and allows market forces to weed out accommodation which is not of a sufficiently high standard to meet tourist requirements. In light of developments in the supply of accommodation, I share the view of my predecessors that the introduction of a compulsory licensing system would be an inappropriate use of resources. There is no evidence to support the view that such a system would have any appreciable impact on accommodation standards over and above that brought about by market forces.

In this context, it should be noted that all providers of accommodation for tourists are obliged, whether approved or unapproved, to comply with official requirements in areas such as taxation, planning, fire and safety and hygiene. In the past year, I have written to my ministerial colleagues with responsibility in these areas asking them to ensure that there are no advantages for unapproved operators in the application of the law.

Meanwhile, Bord Fáilte and the recognised approving bodies will continue to encourage all operators to seek approved status by highlighting, in particular, the benefits to be gained, including access to official marketing through Bord Fáilte and the tourist office network and access to special support schemes, such as tax incentives, which are available only to the approved sector. As part of this process, I recently announced a major new initiative by Bord Fáilte to help small accommodation providers. It is proposed to undertake a fundamental review of how the various groups in this category are branded and marketed overseas. Part of this process will involve the appointment of a project executive and a steering committee, who will undertake market research and then develop and implement a marketing plan. I am confident that this initiative will result in a long-term marketing plan for smaller tourism accommodation providers being put in place. Resources totalling £300,000 have been set aside to support this initiative in 1999.

The Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the licensing arrangements for bed and breakfast accommodation in Northern Ireland. The marketing of Ireland on an all-island basis as a tourist destination is part of the ongoing Cross-Border co-operation and partnership which exists at departmental, agency and industry level in the tourism area.

Co-operation at agency level between Bord Failte and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board has existed since the 1960s and has been considerably strengthened and facilitated in recent years by the availability of financial assistance for marketing, training and product development from the European Union and the International Fund for Ireland.

The Overseas Tourism Marketing Initiative, which operates on an all-island basis, brings together Bord Failte, the NITB and industry representatives North and South in a £7 million EU co-funded annual consumer tourism marketing programme in the US, Britain, France and Germany. My Department and the Northern Ireland Department of Economic Development are also engaged in the joint administration of tourism elements of the INTERREG, Peace and Reconciliation and International Fund for Ireland programmes and marketing of the Shannon-Erne waterway.

Inevitably there are many differences between State supports and other arrangements in place for the tourism industry North and South. However, these differences do not hamper co-operation in relation to tourism marketing of Ireland on an all-island basis.

Mr. Allen: Why was tourism, an area of great potential, not included in the British-Irish Agreement Bill discussed in the House yesterday? Given that he spoke previously about competitiveness and standards, how can the Minister stand over the level of accommodation offered by providers whose premises are unregistered and uninspected?

Dr. McDaid: With regard to tourism being excluded from the British-Irish Agreement Bill, the Deputy will understand that this was a matter for agreement between the British and Irish Governments and the parties involved in drawing up the Good Friday Agreement and the agreement reached in December. Those questions are more appropriate to another source.

Dr. McDaid: The matters to which I refer were the subject of ongoing discussions between the parties involved in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the British and Irish Governments which, in their wisdom, decided that the six bodies listed in the Bill should be established to implement the next phase of the Good Friday Agreement.

With regard to licensing and standards in the unapproved sector, the accommodation sector has grown by 15 per cent during the past 12 months. There is major competition in the sector and the market is dictating developments. It is interesting - I do not intend to be derogatory to any sector by saying this - more complaints are made in respect of the licensed sector than the unlicensed sector. I remind the Deputy that one dissatisfied customer can do more damage than 20 satisfied customers. Ninety per cent of dissatisfied customers will not return.

Mr. Allen: That highlights the need for quality control.

Dr. McDaid: I do not see Bord Fáilte as a mattress inspector. Its role is to market the country.

Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin: How many unregistered bed and breakfast establishments are there in the country? What is the position in other European countries with regard to premises which open their doors to guests? The Minister indicated that the number of complaints about unregistered premises is far lower than that for registered premises. Does he agree that many of them relate not to the standard of the premises but, as indicated in a recent article, to the lack of friendliness? Is it his intention to direct unregistered bed and breakfast establishments to register with Bord Failte or one of the other organisations involved? Are they still free to put up a sign and keep guests?

Dr. McDaid: Success breeds complacency. I agree that, in general, complaints do not relate to the standard of accommodation provided in bed and breakfast establishments or hotels but to the inclination to take visitors for granted. Ninety per cent of dissatisfied visitors will not return. It is the wish of many visitors who stay in bed and breakfast establishments to mingle with the family in an Irish atmosphere but this is no longer possible in many instances because of the increase in standards.

I do not have the information sought on the approximate number of unregistered bed and breakfast establishments but will obtain it for the Deputy, if she so wishes. There is no point in introducing a licensing system if one is not in a position to police it. This would require huge resources which would have to be diverted from other areas.

I encourage unregistered premises to register because of the benefits that would accrue. I intend to pursue certain ideas. I will not allow unregistered premises to avail of benefits introduced in future budgets willy nilly. They will have to be registered for a certain number of years.

Mr. Timmins: The Minister indicated that the number of complaints about registered premises is higher than that for unregistered premises. Does that imply that the system of inspection is unsatisfactory and, if so, does the Minister have plans to change it? There is self-regulation.

Dr. McDaid: Complaints are few and far between because the standard is exceptionally high. We are in a position to pursue registered premises as they are known to us.

Mr. Allen: The Minister is unable to give a breakdown. The informed opinion within the industry is that there are as many unregistered guesthouses as there are registered. The Minister appears complacent in his attitude to standards. He referred in a flippant way to the mattress inspectors of Bord Failte and the need for resources. The issue of fragmentation in the organisations which deal with the industry must be addressed. The principle appears to be that if it is everybody's business, it is nobody's business. How does the Minister envisage the industry being managed? There is no co-ordination of the efforts of Bord Fáilte, the regional tourism organisations, Leader groups, partnership companies and local authorities.

Dr. McDaid: The market dictates the standard which is excellent. If one fails to meet it, one is not at the races. Ninety per cent of dissatisfied visitors will not return. There are many independent bodies but the beauty of it is that they are interdependent. This increases competition.

Mr. Allen: I am talking about the State funded bodies involved - Bord Failte, the regional tourism organisations, Leader groups, partnership companies and local authorities. There is duplication. The regional authorities have not been given the necessary financial and manpower resources to deliver a service.

Dr. McDaid: I was the first Minister to give the regional authorities funding last year. They had not had a penny until then. They are identifying the markets in Europe and the United States from which their regions can benefit. I agree we do not want overlap, but they were starved prior to this.

Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin: Would the Minister agree that while there are many incentives for hotels, self-catering centres and hostels, there are no incentives for bed and breakfasts? Perhaps he might consider this aspect because that is where the difficulty lies.

Dr. McDaid: I would like to see incentives for bed and breakfasts. However, a 15 per cent explosion in the level of accommodation means that increasing numbers are becoming involved in the sector. Their incentive is the realisation of the potential of the country as a tourism destination. Grant aid was provided previously in terms of room extensions, etc. but it was abused when, a couple of years after the payment of grants, signs were removed. It is difficult to give grant aid assistance in this area.

I understand the problems in the bed and breakfast, farmhouse and self-catering sectors. They lost out because of the absence of a proper marketing fund. That is why last month I initiated a £300,000 marketing fund for overseas, especially Europe. We can benefit from the congestion in Europe. I have said that people in Milan, Berlin and France do not want to travel to cities; they want to get away from it all. I am trying to sell Ireland as the antidote to European stress.

Mr. Allen: In his use of words like "antidote to stress" the Minister has paid a great deal of lip service to standards, but how can he guarantee them in the unregistered sector?

Dr. McDaid: The market will dictate standard.

Tourism Industry.

6. Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the top ten tourist attractions for each of the years from 1996-8; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7416/99]

Dr. McDaid: According to Bord Fáilte's last survey of visits to tourism attractions, carried out in 1996 and published in Perspectives on Irish Tourism - Visits to Tourists Attractions, the top ten tourist attractions for that year were: The National Gallery of Ireland, the Book of Kells, Dublin Zoo, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, the National Museum of Ireland, the Hugh Lane Gallery, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Guinness Hopstore, Muckross House and Gardens and Waterford Crystal and Visitor Centre. I understand the board is planning to undertake a comprehensive survey of visits to tourism attractions shortly which will include information for 1997 and 1998.

Mr. Timmins: According to the latest figures from Bord Fáilte, the revenue created by overseas visitors by county indicate a great disparity. Setting aside Counties Dublin, Cork and Galway, south Kerry would be in fourth place at £111 million. This slides downwards to the bottom of the scale, which is west Offaly at £4 million. It appears tourists are drawn to centres of attraction. If the same disparity in results arose in job creation or in any other economic area there would be an outcry. While the lakes of Killarney cannot be moved to west Offaly, would the Minister agree to look at the counties that do not benefit to the same extent as others with a view to identifying a location or project in them which may become a focal point for visitors?

Dr. McDaid: I agree with the Deputy. The words US citizens most frequently use when asked about Ireland are Dublin, Waterford Crystal, Killarney and Connemara. I have been trying to create a better regional spread in tourism. In this regard I am banking on the Good Friday Agreement. We must all insist on letting it be known that there is peace on this island because we must overcome the tendency of the likes of CNN only to report negative messages from Northern Ireland. This is why so many Ministers are travelling the world for Saint Patrick's Day. We are promoting the benefits of the Agreement to encourage people to travel here.

I hope we will be able to obtain more EU funding for product development in a bid to get visitors to stop in the areas referred to by the Deputy. Outstanding areas have not yet been profiled or promoted. We know about the lakes of Killarney, Kilkenny Castle, etc. However, if we can persuade tourists to visit the unexplored areas they will act as ambassadors and will ensure they are known more widely. That requires more money for marketing, which is what I am trying to do, especially for Europe.

Doping in Sport.

7. Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the proposals, if any, he has to launch an information campaign designed to raise awareness among young people of the problems and risks of doping in sport, particularly using major Irish events as a platform for these campaigns. [6661/99]

Dr. McDaid: The Deputy will know of my commitment to the objective of creating a sporting environment that fosters the pursuit of excellence and fulfilment in sport by fair and ethical means. Education has a very important role to play in achieving this end, as recognised by the Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention, 1989, which seeks a three strand approach to the reduction of doping in sport, namely, testing, research and educational programmes and information campaigns.

Ireland's first ever national sports anti-doping programme, which I launched last year, is scheduled to become operational when the Irish Sports Council is established on a statutory basis. The Sports Council Bill passed Committee Stage last week.

The programme has been designed with reference to the Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention, 1989. It is anticipated that the educational and information aspects of the programme will emphasise the dangers to health inherent in doping and its harm to the ethical values of sport. Specific programmes will be developed by the Irish Sports Council and the National Coaching and Training Centre, Limerick, in co-operation with the NGBs.

Research has already begun on existing educational and information programmes with a view to devising an appropriate, strategic, focused and co-ordinated campaign for implementation under the national sports anti-doping programme. Early discussions are planned in this context with the health promotion unit within the Department of Health and Children. The council will also be able to draw upon developments at both EU and Council of Europe level.

Education programmes and information campaigns will need the fullest co-operation and support of all those involved in sport if the scourge of drug taking is not to be carried on through future generations of sports boys and girls, men and women. In this regard, I will be asking for the wholehearted commitment from all those involved in sport, including parents, schools, sponsors, trainers, coaches, doctors and, most importantly, high profile athletes to work with the sports council and the governing bodies in actively promoting the qualities of genuine sporting endeavour and to educate our young people involved in sport of the health risks associated with taking performance enhancing drugs and the potential health risks from the misuse of other products, such as food supplements.

I note the Deputy's idea of using major Irish events as a platform and will convey this to the Irish Sports Council for its consideration in the ongoing development of the national sports anti-doping programme and in the context of initiatives in the general area of awareness of the risks and problems of doping in sport.

Mr. Allen: Would the Minister agree that many high profile professional and commercial activities involve sports stars who are often not great role models for young people? Often participants are smeared by the dye of commercialism, as was evident at Lansdowne Road where participants were smeared with the dye of the advertising companies on the pitch. Does the Minister agree that sports heroes exert major influence on young people and communities? Will he initiate a programme to enable our sports men and women to visit schools and communities to instil in young people the spirit of participation and enjoyment of sport which seems to be eroded by the growing influence of commercial interests on sporting events? This would be an important initiative in dealing with the growing use of performance enhancing substances in sport.

Dr. McDaid: I agree with the Deputy. However, we must remember that only a small percentage of elite athletes have brought sport to its present position. The majority of people who participate in sport do so on a voluntary basis. The image of sports heroes has been tarnished by recent events. When we see someone on the podium now, we usually ask what they have taken. Young people do not seem to have heroes anymore.

I will consider a promotional programme in schools which, I hope, will be implemented on a voluntary basis and which sporting heroes feel is of benefit. I will give them any assistance I can.

Dr. McDaid: Such behaviour cannot be condoned. I ask the national organisations to take every possible action to ensure these people receive the necessary punishment. It would be going a little too far if we made every fisticuffs on a football field a criminal offence.

Mr. Allen: I was talking about non-contestants.

Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin: How does the Minister propose to convey to as many young people as possible this valuable information? Is there a major problem with food supplements among our young sports people?

Dr. McDaid: As regards the Deputy's first question, I hope athletes will do this on a voluntary basis, but I will give them any assistance I can. As regards food supplements, young people who take food supplements today are the guinea pigs of the scientists of tomorrow.

Athletics Administration.

8. Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the response, if any, he has received to his recent appeal to the athletics bodies to unite under the umbrella of a single administrative structure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7397/99]

Dr. McDaid: The sport of athletics is experiencing many challenges, including retaining current members, attracting new members, ensuring that the linkage between school and adult athletics provides a continuum of involvement for athletes and in competing with other sports for commercial and corporate support. With a view to increasing participation in athletics and maintaining its popularity in Irish sport, it is my intention to streamline the administration of athletics and reach a position for the year 2001 where it will be possible to fund one administrative structure, which will become a stronger and more robust focus for the development of athletics.

As a first step in this process, I have requested BLE, the National Athletic and Cultural Association of Ireland and the Irish Schools Athletic Association to submit a joint proposal for funding in respect of organisational development, international competition and training and the hosting of international events for 1999. To facilitate the athletic bodies in this process, I have asked the director of the National Coaching and Training Centre to assist them.

I understand some progress has been made in advancing this process and I look forward to receiving an agreed proposal in the near future. As soon as an agreed proposal is received, it will be considered by the Irish Sports Council. I assure the Deputy there will be no delay on my part, on receipt of the council's recommendation, in approving the funding allocation.

Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin: The question asked the Minister if he had received replies to his recent appeal to the athletic bodies to unite and what progress had been made on the matter. Does the Minister intend to pursue his proposal? Is there apprehension among these organisations that unless they unite under one umbrella, funding may be suspended? Can he assure them this will not happen if they do not unite?

Dr. McDaid: I see no reason athletics must have three governing bodies. I have said I will give them two years to get their house in order. I have asked them to bring forward an organisational and strategic report this year on how they intend to operate to ensure there is no overlap and that competitions are not held at the same time so that athletes are shown fair play.

Three organisations have administered athletics for the past 15 to 20 years. I am determined to streamline this so I have introduced a cut off date of 2001. We have seen in Northern Ireland over recent years that unless a deadline is set, the process will be open-ended.

Athletics receives 10 per cent of all Government funding, which is the highest administration costs of any organisation, and it is split between the three bodies. There is a total overlap in the work they do. I want to bring them together under one umbrella, but I assure them there will be no diminution of funding. I am prepared to increase funding if they come together under the one umbrella and I am glad they are working towards that end.

One unknown voice disputed this proposal recently but they did not have the courage to go on record. Their views, however, were contradicted by their official spokesperson. I am totally committed to ensuring that athletics is streamlined and to working with all the national athletics organisations, but I am determined that athletics will be administered by one structure by 2001.

Mr. Allen: This is a serious issue. I disagree with the Minister's heavy handiness in forcing organisations together.

An Ceann Comhairle: The Deputy must ask a question.

Mr. Allen: Does the Minister intend to extend this principle of unifying organisations under a particular code to other areas? Is it correct that he is attempting to force the Irish Schools' Swimming Association under the umbrella of Swim Ireland, a much tormented body at present? Does he intend to do so by threatening to cut off funding to that democratically elected organisation? Does he intend to withdraw that threat which will jeopardise the quadrangular international championships in Galway on 28 March and cause embarrassment to the Irish Schools' Swimming Association, a democratically elected organisation?

Dr. McDaid: I have clarified that matter with the Deputy. I do not intend to reduce funding. I have asked these organisations to come together with one organisational plan for this year. As regards Swim Ireland, I have already stated that the child sexual abuse took place in the clubs associated with the schools. They will all come under the one umbrella.

Mr. Allen: That is a disgraceful slur on that association and the Minister should apologise to it.