Treacy's sporting brief

Ever been to a meeting of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Sport and Recreation in Leinster House? No? It's probably one of the few forums where the questions take longer than the answers and where the answers to half of the inquiries have been batted about, kicked around, chewed on and spat out in the media for the previous two years.

Maybe, like Albert Reynolds, Thursday's inquisition crew of Jimmy Deenihan (FG), Liam Aylward (FF), Billy Kelleher (FF), Brendan Keneally (FF), Sean Ryan (Lab) and Matt Brennan (FF) were all one page men.

Still, we get Sports Council Chief Executive John Treacy having to answer questions on the world boxing championships this year in Limerick (Belfast actually); how one deputy would love to run around the track at Stadium Ireland when it is completed (no track actually); why amateur boxing is in decline (well, they turn pro because of the money in it. Ask Michael Carruth, he's been saying it since 1992); the whys of Irish men and women becoming obese (why on earth ask Treacy); why the multi-billion dollar International Olympic Committee (IOC) hasn't dealt with the drugs issue (actually they haven't briefed Treacy on that one) and why two skilled Sligo boxers didn't get funding (they didn't qualify for it).

All this in the name of Ireland's performance in Sydney and how to win a gold medal at Athens in 2004. Yesterday, two principal points emerged when Treacy and his officers Austin Mallon and Paul McDermott addressed the meeting.

The first was that a liaison committee with the job spec of a George Mitchell or Henry Kissinger has been set up simply to get the Sports Council to talk sensibly to the OCI and vice versa.

The other is more of a question. Do the deputies and senators come out of a cocoon for these meetings?

If they have just emerged blinking into the chamber maybe Irish sport would be better served if the deputies' deep interest were a little more polished when it's their home game and they decide to shine the bright light in the face of a professional administrator like Treacy.

Nobody can say Treacy gets an easy ride these days, especially with OCI president Pat Hickey dive bombing him every last Sunday of the month.

So it's up to these official forums to ensure that even if Hickey becomes the European president of the IOC and disappears for a while, then Treacy would still be looking over his shoulder. It's part of the job.

"Never has the sports council initiated any row with any sports organisation," said Treacy about the rift with the OCI. "Never. But we will obviously defend ourselves in a very deliberate way."

The would-be peace makers are Treacy, Austin Mallon and Peter McLoone in the Sports Council. They will arm wrestle the OCI's Louis Kilcoyne, Dermot Sherlock and Barry Houlihan. They have met twice so far.

When Treacy was finally cut down and the light turned off he departed the chamber broadly smiling. Not a mark on his face, nor a bead of sweat on his brow.

The deputies also rose and left quite satisfied that at least they'd more floor time than the principal speaker.