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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Mar 1980

Vol. 318 No. 9

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Western Athletic Track.

20.

asked the Minister for Education if he will provide an athletic track for western Ireland and if he will make a statement on the matter.

21.

asked the Minister for Education if he has received representations from the western region BLOE regarding the provision of a synthetic athletic track in the west of Ireland and if he will treat any request for funds for this purpose sympathetically.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions No. 20 and 21 together.

There are no funds available to me at present from which assistance could be given to such a project. No decision has been taken to provide such a track at State expense or to provide financial assistance for such a project from funds at my disposal for the general purposes of sport.

Is the Minister aware that there is no track north of a line from Galway to Dublin? If State funds are not available at the moment, will the Minister give this matter priority when State funds become available?

I share the concern of the Deputy that these facilities should be available in the west as they have been made available in other areas in the recent past. On the other hand, I am sure the Deputy appreciates that the cost of a synthetic track at the moment is £300,000. While that cost would not prevent me from proceeding with the provision of the facilities, one must have regard for other priorities. The position at the moment is somewhat better than was the case when I took up office. We have six synthetic tracks in the country but, of course, I would like if there were more. I should like the formula which obtained in the matter of the provision of tracks at Cork and Dublin to appear also in the case of the west.

I should like to refer the Minister to the part of my question which asked him if he had received representations from the western region BLOE regarding the provision of a synthetic track. Will the Minister tell the House whether the difficulty in providing the track is purely economic—we might understand this given the circumstances—or whether there is not a mechanism whereby he could transmit money to the west for such a purpose?

I should like to tell the Deputy that representations have been received from many organisations and from all the public representatives in the west regarding the provision of this facility. The last question raised by the Deputy had a certain naiveté. The Deputy knows that what I said to Deputy Kenny still holds. There are limited funds available and we are endeavouring to get maximum value for them. At the moment a synthetic track in the west would not be rated by all the athletic interests as the most urgent priority.

Will the Minister state how much money has been spent in the west?

Will the Minister agree that the provision of that sum of money for the purpose mentioned would not be more than the provision of three State cars?

The day may come when the Deputy will not be so envious of those who have them.

We hope that day will be soon. Will the Minister state if it is a question that he has not the statutory authority to make funds available or is it simply that he does not think this matter has a high priority? His original reply gave the impression that he did not have the authority but now it appears that it is simply a question of priority rather than of authority.

We have a synthetic track at Tullamore, Dublin, Limerick and Cork. When the Deputy held my office there was only one track. The priority he gave the matter when in office was not as high as he is indicating now.

I should like to point out to the Minister that he did not answer my question.

I am asking the Deputy to accept that this matter is not of the priority dimensions he indicates now. Nevertheless, it is my view that in the matter of provision of facilities nothing is too good for the west or for other parts of the country. I would be glad to negotiate with the local authorities or other interests in the west with a view to having this facility provided in due course.

The Minister has not answered my question. There must be some reason for that.

I should not like to embarrass the Deputy further.

I would say that would be the least of the Minister's concerns.

If the Deputy asks the sporting gentlemen of the country what he did for them, I think they will give him their answer.

That does not worry me.

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