A new national sport institute which aims to improve the performances of top Irish athletes can help Ireland become competitive in a number of disciplines by the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic games, according to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
Launching the Irish Institute of Sport, which is to be chaired by former GAA president Seán Kelly, Mr Ahern acknowledged that, in the past, Irish athletes had not enjoyed the same advantages as their competitors.
"In the future, however, they will enjoy the benefits of the institute which will allow them reach their true potential as sportspeople," he said.
"The time has now arrived to create a new institute dedicated to getting the best out of the talent of our best sportsmen and sportswomen."
Mr Ahern was speaking at the unveiling of details of the institute at Government Buildings yesterday. The organisation, which will be located at the national sports campus at Abbotstown, west Dublin, is expected to have a budget of €3.5 million in its first full year of operation.
Among the areas it will focus on are the establishment of national high performance centres; access for athletes to high-quality sports science and medical practitioners; the recruitment of full-time, professional coaches; and the introduction of an athlete lifestyle management and support programme.
It is envisaged that it will initially target some 14 sports and their top athletes, before branching out to other areas. In the short term, it will help athletes and sports which are based in third-level facilities in the Dublin area. The institute will also establish regional facilities.
The establishment of the institute is a key element of the Athens review arising out of Ireland's performance at the 2004 Olympics, which showed significant improvements were needed to enhance support systems.
Mr Ahern, who has been a keen supporter of Abbotstown as the location of the proposed national stadium, said yesterday his personal view on the matter had not changed. But the decision had been taken to develop it at Lansdowne Road, he said.
However, he suggested that there may be a number of difficulties with Croke Park as a venue in the short term. A spokeswoman later said Mr Ahern was referring to the level of objections from local residents, which he felt was "not really going to go away".
Minister for Sport John O'Donoghue said the new institute would make an "immense contribution to the ongoing process of ensuring Ireland's elite athletes were given every resource and opportunity to enhance their performances at major international events".
Mr Kelly, who takes up his post next month, is to spend his first six months selecting four senior support personnel and establishing the base at Abbotstown. He will also draw up an operational plan for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Yesterday's event was attended by Irish Sports Council chairman Ossie Kilkenny and world indoor athletic champion Derval O'Rourke. Describing the establishment of the body as "progressive", Ms O'Rourke said she believed there were Irish athletes who could win gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.