In respect of Croke Park, €69.8 million has been allocated in funding to the GAA to date, of which €67.9 million has been paid. The €1.9 million which is outstanding to the GAA for Croke Park relates to the fact that, in line with my Department's procedures for sports capital funding, 5% of the total payment of each grant allocation is retained pending receipt of certification of completion of the fixed liability period of the project.
With regard to organisations that are affiliated to the GAA and club level and so on, €68.3 million has been allocated since 1998. Obviously this is by far and away the highest proportion given to any sporting organisation in the country. In November 2002, the GAA made an application to my Department for payment of €39.5 million. That money was to have been paid to the GAA in the event of an Exchequer-funded national stadium proceeding. As we all know, the Government decided in October 2002 not to proceed with an Exchequer-funded national stadium. Therefore, the commitment to the GAA fell.
The application which the GAA has now made to my Department will be discussed in due course with the Government and a decision will be reached. We all want to see Croke Park developed to its fullest potential and all recognise the contribution the GAA has made to society. The difficulty relates to the monetary situation. Earlier today we spoke about difficulties in other areas, and at this point I do not have any funding available to me that I, in turn, could make available to the GAA for Croke Park. Any funding which I have available at present under the sports capital programme is for far smaller projects than that and for distribution across the country. There is a question dealing with that matter later.
In short, the Government will discuss the application by the GAA in due course. I do not have any funding available in my Department to pay funds to the GAA this year. Normally, funding for Croke Park would come through the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism.