Chairman's Address at the ISC Grants for 2012 & Statement of Strategy Launch

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I want the thank Minister Michael Ring for making the formal announcement today of the Irish Sports Council funding for 2012. The Irish Sports Council appreciates the continued support he has given to us since his appointment. Minister Varadkar, Minister Ring and the officials of the Department have done enormous work on behalf of the national sports agenda and have ensured that the views of the sports sector receive a positive hearing at the highest levels of Government.

The Council decided this year to give a clear, overall, and transparent picture of the investment being provided into Irish sport. We have made also a specific policy decision to minimise any funding cuts for the smaller National Governing Bodies. We place huge value on the work of the National Governing Bodies and the Local Sports Partnerships and that is reflected in the funding plans for this year. Unfortunately our larger sporting organisations have had to live with a larger cut in their funding.

This emphasis is also clear in our new Statement of Strategy. The Strategy document is positive and concise is setting out priorities for the next three years.

Bullet points on the Strategy:

• Advancing the Participation Strategy
• Developing the capacity of the National Governing Body Sector
• Sustaining the High Performance System

The Strategy contains a review of the performance indicators from our previous strategy. I believe it is a very impressive report which shows progress in every area of our operations. The administrative and salary costs of the Council is a low 7 6% of our overall expenditure.

Additionally, and it is worth highlighting, the high esteem in which the Council is held by our colleagues in sport. The sports bodies that responded to our recent survey have consistently stated that they enjoy an excellent working relationship with the Council and are pleased with our support for their activities.

Obviously today's announcement reflects the reduction in the Council's overall budget. The Council would prefer if it were not so but the national finances do not allow for the largesse of previous years. The simple reality is that the economic circumstances have changed dramatically and the sports sector has to carry its share of the burden.

That said an investment package of €25 million, combined with €10.5 million, already announced for High Performance Sport, represents a significant level of support for Irish sport and its representation at international levels in a wide range of sporting disciplines.

Also, it is important to acknowledge the contribution that sports make from their own resources. The GAA, FAI, IRFU, AAI, Special Olympics put huge resources into supporting their participation programmes. In 2011 they invested an additional €21 million in the Youth Field programmes supported by the Council, making a total package well in excess of €30 million. This is an enormous contribution by these sports and in the health, social inclusion and wellbeing of the nation.

As you will hear later from John Treacy, that the sports bodies rely very heavily on Council funding. The Council is aware of this fact and that is why such care was taken in deciding the allocation for 2012.

It was signalled 2 years ago that High Performance Sport would not be touched in the build up to 2012. I am sure everyone understands the essential logic of that decision. There is a national imperative in ensuring that our athletes are given the maximum support in the preparation and performances at London 2012 and at other world events. Post the Olympics we will review with the NGBs their high performance systems and supports around the London Games.

In particular, I want to welcome the recent Government decisions on the reinstating of the Capital Sports Grant Programme and the National Sports Campus Plan. These programmes are vital to the refurbishment of existing facilities and the development of new infrastructure for sport.

I want to pay tribute to my colleagues on the Board of the Council who put much effort into their role. In addition it is important to acknowledge the work of the Executive, led by John Treacy, who brings considerable expertise and diligence to their work. The Council is a relatively small agency but it has a high profile and a large footprint and performs a huge amount of work across a wide range of activities in any given year.

2012 will be and is a huge year for Irish sport. We have qualified for Euro 2012 in soccer and the Twenty World Cup in cricket, the Heineken Cup is coming to conclusion with great Irish representation and the whole country is looking forward to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In domestic competitions the GAA, FAI, IRFU continue to provide a year long festival of continuing excitement and sporting achievements. The recent success of our National Cricket and Hockey teams emphasises the need for greater focus and attention on team sports and the importance of encouraging their promotion.

The NGBs and LSPs are doing fantastic work, week in and week out in every community in the country. It is important to salute Irish sport and the incredible contribution it makes to the life of the nation. I want to wish all the athletes and the sports well for the year ahead and every success in their sporting endeavours.

Finally, a debate has opened up recently on the external commercial sponsorship of Irish Sport by certain enterprises associated with the alcohol industry.

Irish Sport is not richly endowed with commercial sponsorship in comparison with other jurisdictions. We are a small population with increasingly limited resources.
Any debate in this area requires a measured level of rational argumentation between sponsorship, legitimate consumption of beverages and the application of the law and appropriate societal standards and behaviour.

Any severe restrictions on any form of sponsorship could have serious implications for sports funding, stadia and sporting events and I hope this debate will generate a reasoned degree of discussion on this issue and bring a sense of balance to the debate.