As Irish sports officials meet for an important conference on doping, John Treacy insists they must intensify their work across all sports.
Fair play is an essential principle of sport. Doping is contrary to the value of fairness that underpins all successful sport at whatever level. If we are to develop healthy, fair and enjoyable sport, it must be drugs-free and played in accordance with the spirit and letter of the rules.
The fight against doping in sport has intensified. A major turning point was the 1999 World Conference on Doping in Sport in Lausanne which caught a new mood of intolerance towards any use of prohibited sub- stances. This conference opened the way for the subsequent establishment of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) which has proved to be a hugely significant development. WADA has brought together governments and sports in a combined and concerted effort to combat doping.
WADA has produced a new world code, which is being introduced into Ireland this year. The Irish Sports Council is committed to the work of WADA and will ensure that Ireland is ready for the changes in current policy and practice required when it becomes operational.
The council is hosting a conference this weekend, attended by senior WADA officials, on anti-doping issues in sport. Its purpose is to introduce a new national code to Irish sports bodies whose essence is harmonising rules, processes and procedures across all sports and aligning them with all other countries by being fully compliant with the World Code. Irish sports will have the opportunity to study the implications and to give their views on how it will affect them.
The establishment of WADA allows us challenge myths surrounding doping. The first and greatest myth is that the cheaters will always be ahead of the testers. This is wrong. Anti-doping programmes that have financial resources, research information, expert assistance and support from the sports and athletes can and will stay ahead of the cheaters.
The next myth is that all athletes take drugs and that we cannot believe what we see. This is wrong. Comprehensive and effective programmes demonstrate that between 1 and 2 per cent of athletes cheat. We are there to protect the rest.
In keeping with our "athlete-focused" ethos we surveyed athletes on the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Programme. The results indicated a high level of approval for the programme and of confidence that it will reduce drug-taking in Irish sport.
Our work reflects this reality, that the vast majority of athletes are opposed to doping. Under the principle of strict liability they are responsible for what is in their bodies. The athletes must understand that for the anti-doping system to work, in order for it to protect the innocent and identify the guilty, they must take complete responsibility for what is in their bodies.
The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue, has given the programme his strong endorsement, and it benefits enormously from the support of the Minister and his Department. We acknowledge and appreciate the support of Government, which has been constant since 1999 when the programme was established.
Under the Irish Sports Council Act, 1999, the council was given the task of combating doping in sport. It established the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Programme comprising testing, education and research. We set, and met, tough targets for the programme and have put in place an internationally recognised quality programme that is making a contribution to the development of Irish sport.
To ensure the effectiveness of the programme we place a lot of emphasis on the education programme. There are information lines, websites, videos, written materials and seminars to ensure that the sports community is fully aware of the implications of the developments in doping.
In our education work we focused on the essential area of supporting medical practitioners. We recognise the central part that they play in supporting and preparing athletes and that they require reliable, regular and accessible information.
The council has also contributed to international and national research in the field. Scientific, medical, psychological and sociological research and information is required to ensure that the national and international programmes remain up to date and relevant.
And testing is an essential part of the programme. Since 1999 the programme has met its targets in total numbers, with particular emphasis on increasing the number of out-of-competition tests. More than 3,000 tests have been carried under the auspices of the council since its was established in 2000.
The number of positive findings in Ireland since 2000 has been in line with international experience. There is no doubt that the establishment of a credible and visible anti-doping programme is a significant deterrent to athletes and players who may be tempted to take prohibited substances. The trend of results in Ireland is in keeping with international trends in this regard.
The presence of comprehensive and successful anti-doping programmes is the best way to maintain public confidence in the integrity of sport. These programmes may mean that world records are not broken so regularly. They may mean that standards in some sports slip. This is a small price to pay to ensure that sport has a future at local, national and international level.
The use of banned substances by athletes has damaged sport, and each scandal hurts its credibility. The cynicism it generates could be fatal to sport. The fight against doping remains a huge challenge nationally and internationally. The council is committed to meeting that challenge. It is confident that, with the support of the sports community, sport in Ireland will progress based on a shared commitment to fair play.
John Treacy is chief executive of the Irish Sports Council and a former Olympic silver medallist