Isn't it strange the idea that Dublin should apply to stage the Olympic Games has, apparently, been dropped?

It was former lord mayor, Gay Mitchell, who first floated the idea in the euphoric atmosphere surrounding the return of Michael Carruth and Wayne McCullough from Barcelona with gold and silver medals in 1992.

An organisation called the Dublin International Sporting Council (DISC) was set up with a view to making the city a centre of international sporting events, which might culminate in staging the Olympic Games.

It was a commendable idea, albeit more founded on sentiment and nostalgia than common sense. One cynic at the time suggested that we would not be able to afford the provision of toilet accommodation for the athletes, while another suggested we couldn't afford the bribes.

Sadly, the latter suggestion proved to be far too near the mark. In recent months, the International Olympic Committee has been riven by allegations of corruption surrounding the forthcoming summer Olympics in Sydney and the winter Games in Salt Lake City in 2002.

The controversies which have arisen prompted the IOC to introduce new rules of behaviour for its own members with a view to stopping them taking "backhanders" from applicants who wish to stage the Games.

Anyone would have thought that it would have been sufficient for the leadership of the IOC to call its members together and to lay down strict rules in regard to the acceptance of "presents" or "inducements" from applicant cities. But Juan Antonio Samaranch had to survive a motion of no confidence in order to remain as president of the IOC. He did so with only two members voting against him. The IOC removed six members and four others resigned. All of them, apparently, were associated with the scandals.

It was reported at the time that one country's delegate managed to get an opportunity to have his little daughter play her piano with a famous orchestra at a glamorous concert. For that he reportedly promised his vote to Salt Lake City for the Winter Olympics.

The IOC recently set up a special commission to examine ways of preventing such behaviour. This commission included such distinguished people as the former UN Secretary General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and the former US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger.

The commission made 50 recommendations, which included the suggestion that all members must offer themselves for re-election after eight years in office.

Another recommendation was that members should not be allowed to make personal arrangements to visit applicant cities, but that a controlled group appointed by the IOC should visit cities that are on the short list.

In these circumstances you can imagine what might have happened if Dublin had put in an application for, say, the 2008 Games.

How many tribunals would have had to deal with the fall-out from the scandals which would have arisen?

Because of the scandals and allegations a major television company in Australia has abandoned its bid to broadcast the Sydney Olympics and Reebok have al so pulled out of a previously agreed commitment.

Needless to say, there is a lot of adverse publicity surrounding all of this. The IOC have relented upon the access which media commentators have to their information.

They have agreed that its discussion on the 50 recommendations will be shown to journalists on closed-circuit television - a major break-through by such a paternalistic organisation.

Whatever the outcome, it must be admitted that it is a huge relief to Dublin that all of this was not visited upon us. We have enough problems of our own.