Deputy John Deasy has again called for greater investment in young Irish golf prospects trying to make their way on the professional circuit.

The Waterford TD raised the matter with Irish Sports Council CEO John Treacy during his recent appearance before the Dáil Public Accounts Committee, highlighting how the country continues to punch way above its weight in the sport.

In follow-up correspondence to the committee, Mr Treacy confirmed — in response to one specific query by Mr Deasy — that no player has made it as a pro after being refused funding from the Team Ireland Golf Trust programme; a scheme that sees around €140,000 per year split between 15 leading young players to help meet their expenses.

But, returning to the subject at last Thursday’s PAC meeting, the local Fine Gael deputy said the wider issue is the small financial backing the government gives to up-and-coming talent relative to the “amazing” global success and profile Irish golf enjoys.

“The point I was making is that the amounts of money involved are tiny compared to the enormous cost of pursuing a professional career,” he said.

He has now requested the Committee to ask the Sports Council to look at how much funding other countries, “especially those around Europe”, provide to help golfers starting out in the hugely competitive pro ranks.

Waterford Fine Gael TD John Deasy says the “resilient” fishing community of Dunmore East has endured “a legacy of bitter disappointment” due to Government “inaction”.

He made his criticisms after hearing confirmation at today's Public Accounts Committee meeting that a €4 million dredging contract for the inner harbour has been delayed until next year.

The Fine Gael deputy quoted “a litany” of consultants reports and studies into the proposed redevelopment of the State fishery port dating back almost a decade and a half — including a shelved €50-60m upgrade.

Addressing officials from the Dept of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, he went back over the myriad findings, recommendations, “and frankly the lack of activity that has occurred” — starting with the 2000 KPMG technical and socio-economic review of infrastructural requirements in Dunmore East.

This, he said, was followed in 2003 by the Department-commissioned Kirk McClure and Morton Report. Involving preliminary designs and environmental impact assessment, it found the existing harbour was too small, and that the set-up didn’t permit proper development — “effectively a reiteration of the previous report.”

A public consultation process commenced in 2004, and planning permission for the development of the fishery harbour centre was granted the following year. In 2006 €300,000 was provided for design and a similar sum for site investigations.

Mr Deasy then referred to a 2007 cost-benefit analysis by Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management Ltd for the Dept of the Marine into a large-scale State investment highlighted the old age of the harbour, the lack of dredging since the early nineties, and the absence of safe access to the shore for yachts.

The first phase was scheduled to start in 2008 — “and then the economy collapsed.”

However, hopes were raised in March when funding of €4m was announced for the first dredging operation in Dunmore in 22 years. The build-up of sediment has seriously hampered the port’s activities, with larger fishing vessels unable to dock and having to steam to Cork or Howth instead. 

The amount allocated under the capital programme is just to dredge the inner basin — “the idea of overall harbour redevelopment is not being spoken of,” Deputy Deasy said. The tender process was to be have been completed by July, but “now we learn that there’s a delay in that.”

Considering the country’s lofty status in the world of golf, Deputy John Deasy has posed the question as to whether more money should be invested in Ireland’s up-and-coming talent.

Irish Sports Council chief executive John Treacy answered various questions about funding when he appeared before the Dáil Public Accounts Committee last Thursday.

Noting that Ireland leads EU per capita figures for registered golfers — albeit club memberships have been declining globally since the recession hit — the Waterford TD felt the Sports Council allocations for the GUI High Performance programme (€375,000) and Team Ireland Golf Trust (€139,000 “for 15 young pros”) “doesn’t seem like a lot of cash”; particularly when the latter had helped bring through the likes of Peter Lawrie, Shane Lowry and Michael Hoey since it started in 1999.

He wondered should greater grant aid be allocated given “how much effort is being put into young golfers in clubs, and the success that they’re achieving, including in the area we’re both from” — citing European amateur bronze medallist Gary Hurley and his West Waterford clubmate Seamus Power, who is currently on the eGolf Professional Tour in the US.

“People hear about some of these young pros being on Tour, even the Challenge Tour, and they think they’re making a boat-load of cash, and that isn’t the case. Many of them are really struggling,” said Mr Deasy, who was a member of the Dungarvan Golf Club team (along with Austin Spratt, Derry Kiely and Kieran Hogan) that won the All-Ireland Junior Foursomes title in 1985 — the year he took up a partial sports scholarship in the US.

Looking at Paul McGinley’s achievement in the recent Ryder Cup, on top of those of Padraig Harrington, he said “the enormous success that Irish golf has had internationally, it’s amazing. Absolutely amazing. Across America, across the world. When you think of golf, you do think of Ireland.”

Mr Treacy, who is a member of both Dungarvan and West Waterford Golf Clubs, said the High Performance programme is about putting coaching in place for top amateur players (at Carton House) and “making sure they’re exposed to international competition at the appropriate age.

“It has been hugely successful because the Rory McIlroys and the Graeme McDowells of this world... are a product of the GUI and their coaching systems and the coaches on the ground, the club coaches.” The criteria in place around this funding is Sports Council-approved, with the maximum grant available to amateurs being €5,000.

The Villierstown man explained that when players decide they’re going to go pro, there’s a c.€200,000 Golf Trust established by the Council (with backing from Fáilte Ireland and the commercial sector) — but “those young aspiring golfers have to meet criteria before they’re funded. So it isn’t someone turning around when they’re 18 years of age and saying ‘Oh, I’m going to be a pro’.

“What we want to be careful of is we don’t want young golfers turning pro too early. So if they’re going at the appropriate age, then the Trust kicks in.”

Asked by Deputy Deasy whether any pros had “slipped through the net... who did not get the grant and actually did succeed,” Mr Treacy said he didn’t think so.

“We have supported people for a long period of time, because it’s not like the other sports where you can tell after three or four years whether they’re going to actually make it on the world stage or not. Sometimes it can be five, six, seven years with the golfers and we’ve actually stood by a lot of them.”

He said that without that “€20,000 when you’re turning pro — and I would have heard it myself from the likes of Peter Lawrie — they wouldn’t have been able to do it... to meet their expenses when they go on tour... It is a journey. And it is difficult. But that funding does go a long way.”

The Sports Council chief concluded: “So a lot done but, I think, more to do. I agree with you Deputy Deasy. This is a sport where we can excel on the world stage and we have excelled and we need to make sure that we continue it and that we have the systems in place that can support young aspiring golfers that have the talent to perform at the highest level and make sure nothing gets in their way.”

Deputy John Deasy has said the “paltry” funding given to the Camphire International Horse Trials event in west Waterford doesn’t tally with its international status and high-calibre competition.

Raising the issue with Irish Sports Council CEO John Treacy at a recent meeting of the Public Accounts Committee, Mr Deasy said Horse Sport Ireland provides a Home International hosting grant of €5,000 while some horse classes receive prizemoney from the HSI breeding committee — but that’s it.

This is despite the fact that the annual summer event in Cappoquin has “been built up over the last 14 years” to achieve “international status”. With “only two other 3-star courses in Ireland”, the lay-out on the banks of the Blackwater has a first-class reputation among top-level riders.

Looking at “where we have been relatively successful over the last few Olympics, the equestrian area really stands out... and for a very significant horse trialing event” — comprising cross country, showjumping and dressage — “€5,000 seems a very small number to me,” Deputy Deasy said.

“Considering the kind of success people who attend these horse trials have gone on to achieve internationally, not just in the Olympics but in world-class events”, he felt “a more significant amount of money should be contributed” — wondering whether the Sports Council should consider funding such events directly.

John Treacy replied that “without a shadow of a doubt” equestrian sports — which “fit with our natural environment” — have proven to be very successful for Ireland internationally.

“The unfortunate part is our funding has been reducing, with a knock-on effect to Horse Sport Ireland whose funding is probably down over €400,000 over the last number of years. They currently allocate €84,000 to [around eight] events around the country... and as part of that Camphire gets €5,000.”

“I suppose it’s never enough,” he accepted, “because they are huge events and very important for the local economy as well.” (Camphire, which will be held from July 22-26 next year, also includes a Trade Village and Country Fair sourcing local producers.) “But the reality is funding is down... and they [HSI] have a huge demand in regard to some of those shows.”

While acknowledging “I’ve no doubt that what you do must be very difficult — just the competitive aspect of different sports looking for their allocation,” Deputy Deasy said “€5,000 is a paltry figure to be honest.

“Maybe, given its success and given how the Irish equestrian area has grown, some consideration should be given as to how the Sports Council can help these events out a little bit more,” he added.

Mr Treacy said HSI “are undertaking a strategic review at the moment and that issue is definitely coming up in terms of international events... So there are plans afoot in terms of trying to support some of these... with some more funding.”

With Deputy Deasy asking “When is that going to be finalised; and do you have an input?”, the CEO said “we did give feedback to it.” Asked “was that to increase the amount?” the Sports Council chief said: “No it wasn’t that specific. We were [talking] more on a macro level. But I know it’s part of what they’re thinking around that strategy at the moment.

“Look, we’d like to be in a position to give more money to these shows because I agree with you Deputy Deasy, they’re very, very important and there are some fine shows right around the country, and nowhere closer to my own heart than west Waterford.

“We do know they put on world-class events and they bring in international riders and it’s obviously something we will encourage HSI to do, to invest more money in these shows,” Mr Treacy concluded.

Deputy John Deasy has been informed by the National Transport Authority that Kilmacthomas and Tramore are to be included in a new priority bus shelter investment programme.

The Waterford Fine Gael TD made representations to the NTA asking that shelters be provided at the end of Main Street in Kilmac’ — an issue he’s been working on with local councillor Liam Brazil (left) — and also Crobally Upper, Tramore, another area he was contacted about.

Chief Executive of the NTA, Gerry Murphy, has written to Deputy Deasy to confirm that both locations will be ‘covered’ as part of a new investment roll-out.

In his letter of August 5th, Mr Murphy said: “The Authority last week approved a €0.8 million bus shelter programme in respect of Bus Éireann, which will provide for the installation of 40 shelters across the State. You will be pleased to know that the programme includes the provision of shelters at Tramore (Terminus and Crobally Upper) and Kilmacthomas”.

Both bus shelters were erected in late October and have been positively received.

John persuades Failte Ireland to allow council pitch

Deputy John Deasy has reached agreement with Failte Ireland to allow Waterford City and County Council to make a formal presentation — including a full business case — as to why Waterford’s coastline should be included in the Wild Atlantic Way.

The Fine Gael TD held separate meetings in Dublin last week with Failte Ireland chief executive, Shaun Quinn, and CEO of the combined Waterford council, Michael Walsh.

“I’ve been dealing with this for a couple of months now,” Mr Deasy said. “I proposed to Mr Quinn that the local authority be given an opportunity to make a proper pitch as to why Waterford, being on the Atlantic seaboard, should be included in this multi-million euro tourism promotion.

“Michael Walsh has agreed to put the necessary process in train and the next step is to formulate a comprehensive presentation. It will take a few weeks to put together the business plan, which is a critical component of this. 

“While there’s no guarantee Waterford’s submission will be successful, at the very least the council will have the chance to make a detailed case for inclusion. It’s up to the officials now to make the best case possible.”

Deputy Deasy stressed that “the inclusion of Waterford will have to make sense in terms of the considerable marketing plan that’s already underway. The concern already raised is that it might dilute the overall concept.”

“We have to be realistic. There are major issues to be overcome if Waterford is to be included. The most obvious problem is that it would have to comprise East Cork’s coastline as well.”

He believes one big advantage Waterford has is the location of the regional airport, which would be an ideal starting point to the tourist route for visitors from the UK and Europe.

“Having this county’s spectacular 147km of coastline as part of the Wild Atlantic Way would also help the marketing of the airport a great deal. It’s very well located and I presume the airport’s access potential will be a key selling point in the presentation the Waterford council makes to Bord Failte.”

Deputy John Deasy has told the Dáil of a 74% year-on-year increase in passenger numbers at Waterford Airport up to the end of May.

The Fine Gael TD acknowledged “the past few years have been a struggle for everyone involved, but it is fair to say that the work and patience displayed by everyone involved is paying off.”

Mr Deasy said: “I hope the figures supplied to me in respect of the first five months of this year represent a turning point. They go to show that a focused regional airport investment strategy can work and makes smart business sense.”

Flybe operates two commercial routes from Waterford — Birmingham and Manchester. Together they showed a 74% increase in passenger traffic in the first five months of this year compared with the same period in 2013, amounting to more than 12,000 individual inbound and outbound flights.

Deputy Deasy attributed this continuing “substantial increase” in passenger loads — “albeit from a very small base” — to “good marketing, an uplift in the UK economy and a determination on the part of the Minister, the Department, airport management and everyone involved to make this work.

“It is working. Slowly but surely, Waterford is proving business can be found if an airport sticks at it.”

However, he said, “This is not to say that there are no unresolved issues. Money is being raised on the ground to supplement a Government investment that I hope will continue.

“The planning process for the runway extension is nearing completion and an arbitration process will proceed within the coming months, all of which should amount to an additional 200–250m of runway.”

Also, “Talks are continuing with commercial operators regarding the restoration of the Waterford-London route” — and the verified success of the current UK services should assist with this, he said.

While the region’s local authorities are “making the airport a priority and stepping up their involvement” as well, Deputy Deasy cited the Government’s “imagination to see the possibilities and to invest in critical infrastructure when times are tough” as “the key factor.”

By contrast, while he was “not going to bash” the previous administration, “for the life of me, I could never understand why barely a penny was invested in Waterford Regional Airport in the years when we had money to spend on infrastructure. There were plenty of announcements by sitting ministers, but nothing happened.”

Deputy Deasy agreed that “When a recession bites it is even more important that a government spends its money wisely.” But the passenger growth achieved this year “demonstrates that additional capital and operational funding for Waterford and the other regional airports is smart business and is a positive for the country's economy as a whole.”

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, has said he will review the IDA’s presence in Waterford after his Fine Gael colleague John Deasy called for a change of strategy and the re-dedication of senior staff to the southeast.

Both attended last Tuesday’s (June 10) Oireachtas jobs committee meeting, at which the Minister took general questions surrounding the proposed redundancies and cost-cutting at Bausch + Lomb.

Raising the issue of inward investment, Deputy Deasy said the situation “changed negatively” for Waterford in 1996 — at a time when Mr Bruton was enterprise minister. That year an internal IDA restructuring saw the agency’s southeast and southwest divisions amalgamated. A new southern regional director was based in Cork — the existing SW headquarters.

“At the time plenty of people, including people within Government, sounded a warning that that was going to have a detrimental effect on the city and county of Waterford, and the southeast,” Mr Deasy said.

He reminded Mr Bruton, “You were the minister at the time those warnings were given. Since then, as it’s turned out, those warnings have proven to be absolutely correct”, with over 80% of all Foreign Direct Investment “going to three particular locations — Cork, Dublin and Galway.”

Referring to the Minister’s approval in February for the appointment of 35 additional IDA staff, Mr Deasy added: “I am of the opinion at this point that there needs to be a restructuring with regard to the seniority of IDA staff when it comes to the southeast, and the situation that was in existence in 1996 when you were minister needs to be reinstated.”

Mr Bruton said: “I take the point there is a lot of criticism but on the issue of where do you put new staff ... we’re seeking to build new opportunities in new geographies and all of those 35 people are being put into overseas locations to try to win new investment.”

“But,” he told Mr Deasy, “obviously the IDA is undergoing a review of its overall strategy and its regional strategy in conjunction with my own Department, and we will look at issues that are raised here in terms of staffing at that level.”

The Minister insisted: “I’m confident the IDA, under my direction, is giving this the necessary attention it deserves ... I believe in time that those site visits and that enhanced effort will deliver results.

“This year again, through the IDA, I funded an advanced facility in Waterford; precisely because I feel we need something different in the regions to respond to the challenges that the IDA have had in getting the necessary regional spread.”

He added, “we’ll be taking a tough look at our regions, how we’re doing things, and how we can do things better. I will be reviewing, in the context of the [IDA] regional strategy, the appropriate realignment of resources to the challenges we meet.”

Waterford TD John Deasy has called on the Government to urgently look at deploying a larger IDA staff to the city, as talks continue concerning the future of the local Bausch + Lomb plant.

In a submission to Jobs Minister Richard Bruton, the Fine Gael Deputy pointed to the extra 35 new IDA Ireland personnel announced by his Department in February.

Since the restructuring of the IDA in the mid-1990s — which amalgamated the agency’s south-east and south-west divisions — the Southern Regional Director has been based in Cork. In the intervening years over 80% of all Foreign Direct Investment has gone to Dublin, Cork, and Galway.

An estimated 2,441 IDA Ireland company jobs have been lost in Waterford since 2008, with only around 581 created. There are just four IDA staff responsible for the south-east, all based in the city.

“While the IDA might argue that a director is not needed in every region, and that its preference is for a global spread of staff, the South East is facing unique economic difficulties,” Mr Deasy said.

The IDA is constructing a new advance technology building in Waterford but he feels “an even greater dedication of resources is required” — starting with some of the 35 new approved posts.

Mr Deasy pointed out that last year’s report by DKM economic consultants recommended a number of ‘high-level interventions’ to Government to support the Waterford council amalgamation — including an IDA Regional Director based here to promote FDI.

“I believe it’s imperative that the IDA’s personnel contingent in Waterford is increased and that the level of seniority attached to the Waterford IDA office is reflected at executive management level.”

Also, with new IDA chairman, Frank Ryan, only recently in place and a new CEO, Martin Shanahan, installed this week, Deputy Deasy feels “it’s time that the IDA’s entire strategy when it comes to Waterford city and county was revisited given its lack of success in terms of attracting FDI, ongoing job losses and high unemployment.”

Last week a “disgusted” Mr Deasy requested the Irish Ambassador to the United States to intervene after New York Senator Chuck Schumer revealed he’d directly phoned the CEO of Bausch + Lomb’s parent company Valeant seeking to have Waterford production relocated to Rochester.

Describing it as an “underhand” attempt to “impoverish” Waterford workers, Mr Deasy — a former congressional aide in Washington — contacted Ambassador Anne Anderson, who communicated the Irish Embassy’s concerns to the Democrat Senator’s office.

The Irish Embassy in Washington D.C. contacted a United States senator to raise concerns over his call for more than 1,100 at-risk jobs at Bausch + Lomb in Waterford to be moved to New York.

The Irish Times and Irish Examiner both reported the high-level intervention, made at the request of Waterford Government TD John Deasy.

The Irish Ambassador to the US, Anne Anderson, confirmed in a letter to the Fine Gael Deputy that, at his behest, the Embassy in Washington contacted the New York office of Democrat senator Charles ‘Chuck’ Schumer.

This followed Mr Schumer’s call for jobs at Bausch + Lomb in Waterford – currently the subject of negotiations between management and unions – to be relocated to Rochester, New York, where the company also has an operation.

Ambassador Anderson told Mr Deasy: “The Embassy has been in touch with Senator Schumer’s office to draw attention to the sensitivity of this issue, the ongoing negotiations between management, the employees and their unions, and the concern that these jobs be safeguarded in Ireland.”

Mr Schumer had revealed he had “called the CEO of [parent company] Valeant and urged him to move that work and those jobs to Rochester”. 

In a press release to this effect, he also said that, after his phone call with Valeant chief executive J. Michael Pearson, he was “confident that Rochester will have a great shot at adding work and jobs from the potential closure of the Ireland plant”.

However, though Mr Pearson subsequently assured Waterford employees in a memo that Bausch + Lomb was committed to maintaining its presence in the city – provided the company got the €20million in cutbacks it wanted – Deputy Deasy was furious at Senator Schumer’s “sneaky” actions.

In a letter to the Ambassador, Mr Deasy said he found Mr Schumer’s media release “unbelievably distasteful”. Having separately condemned the Senator’s “pathetic” attempt to “impoverish” Irish workers, the Waterford Deputy suggested to the Embassy, “I think the Irish Government should express its disgust as well.”

Mr Deasy, who worked as a congressional aide on Capitol Hill before returning to pursue a career in Irish politics, said that, as a former employee of the Senate, “I never thought that a U.S. senator would act in such an underhand manner.”

He asked the Ambassador, “I would appreciate if you would communicate my disgust at the way he and his office are behaving as it pertains to the Bausch + Lomb workforce in Waterford City.”
He added: “I think the Irish Embassy should communicate to Senator Schumer that it would be better if he allowed those negotiations to conclude before issuing any press statements.”

Explaining why he took such offence, Mr Deasy said: “We all fight for our constituencies, but ringing a company CEO to impoverish Irish workers is pathetic. Senator Schumer likes to portray himself as a friend of Ireland. I hope Irish-Americans in New York get to hear about his sneakiness. He has peddled his Schumer visas for Irish people for years. Irish-American voters have just got an insight into how he works.”