John Treacy, the chairman of the Irish Sports Council, has defended the council's decision not to approve a request for funding for Ireland's team in the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, next month.

Treacy said yesterday that the council's high performance committee, having assessed the matter fully, was unable to recommend approval.

He said substantial Olympic Solidarity funding had already been given to the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) to support the team in Nagano. In a prepared statement, Treacy said: "Limited State funding must be targeted towards those individuals who are most likely to deliver high performance, and towards sporting organisations which have the structures and planning in place to support such performance.

"It is, of course, a matter for the Olympic Council of Ireland to decide how best to target its own funds. Nevertheless, the Minister for Sport and the Sports Council would be surprised if the high level objectives we have outlined are not shared by the OCI."

Later, the OCI rejected a suggestion that funding was available through either the IOC or the local organising committee.

"The Sports Council's claims are part of a smokescreen aimed at hiding the fact that they are discriminating against a fast-growing minority sport," a spokesman said.