The Minister for Sport has warned young athletes about the potential dangers of using a legal muscle-building drug, creatine, in an effort to improve their performance.

Speaking in the Dail yesterday, Dr Jim McDaid, who is a medical doctor, said he "would rule against the taking of creatine, particularly in our schools. I would be very loath to tell any young person to go on to creatine. I would be against the use of particular drugs in sport." The Minister was replying to the Fine Gael spokesman on sport, Bernard Allen, who said there were allegations that schools were urging their top athletes to use the substance. While it is not illegal, it created an air of acceptability of performance-enhancing substances, Allen said.

Dr McDaid added that reports on the use and possible side-effects of the substance had been varied. Although it was not, as far as he was aware, banned by the International Olympic Committee, "I certainly would be very wary of its use," he said.

John Gormley, of the Green Party, said there was much more than anecdotal evidence concerning its use in schools, adding that it was being used by rugby players at all levels. On a separate issue, Dr McDaid indicated he would not get involved directly with the Irish Rugby Football Union on the allegations of drug abuse by some players.

"I am aware that the IRFU has been very much to the fore in their support of my proposals for a national sports anti-doping programme," the Minister said. "However, I have not been in direct contact specifically with regard to recent allegations against some Irish rugby players because these cases are being investigated under the relevant national and international governing bodies' own rules and regulations, and would not, therefore, be a matter for discussion or communication between the union and myself."