Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 10 Jun 1980

Vol. 322 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - Dungarvan Sports Complex.

Mr. Deasy

I am raising this matter on the Adjournment because I believe a genuine mistake has been made and I am asking the Minister of State at the Department of Education to correct the error. I believe a mistake has been made because of an answer given in this House last Tuesday, 3 June, to a question I tabled some time ago. I put down the question when I read in the national newspapers of the allocations that had been made by the Minister of State at the Department of Education to various centres for sport complexes. I was dismayed to find that Dungarvan was not among the centres listed. Over the past three years I have raised this matter in the House at Question Time and on each occasion I was told that no funds were available for such a sports complex in Dungarvan. Last Tuesday I asked the Minister for Education if he would make a grant available for the proposed sports complex at Dungarvan, County Waterford, to which Deputy Tunney replied:

The only application received in my Department for assistance towards the provision of a sports complex in Dungarvan was dated 14 April 1980 and it related to a project for the use of the employees of a particular firm, their families and near relatives. It was not received in time for consideration in connection with the projects being selected for assistance. It would not have qualified for such assistance because of the limitations on its usage.

I appreciate that such a complex would not be accepted if it were merely for one firm and their families but the original application for a grant was made in March 1972. At that time Waterford County Council, Dungarvan Urban District Council and the County Waterford Vocational Education Committee got together to set up a sub-committee with members drawn from each of those bodies so as to develop a multi-purpose sports complex in Dungarvan. It was proposed to locate this complex at Ringnasilogue on property owned by Dungarvan Urban District Council. In March 1973 the Department of Education in their official letter No. F 35/7/6 authorised and conveyed sanction to the County Waterford Vocational Education Committee to commission a professional feasibility report on the provision of a recreational and physical education centre for West Waterford to be based in Dungarvan. In September 1973 the survey was prepared by Messrs. O'Sullivan and Partners, architects, Tralee, County Kerry, who were architects to the Tralee multi-purpose sports complex. When completed this survey was presented to the Vocational Education Committee. In July 1974 officials of the Department of Education met the CEO of the Waterford VEC and informed him that it would be necessary to obtain a contribution of 30 per cent from the post-primary schools in the town in connection with the development of the sports complex. The post-primary schools in the town have either just completed major developments or are carrying out major developments at present and these major developments were being mooted at that time. Saint Augustine's College is newly built and has extensive recreational facilities. The other schools involved are the Christian Brother schools, the Presentation Convent schools and the Mercy Convent schools all of which are building on large extensions and are not in a position to contribute the 30 per cent required.

In August 1974 a letter from the Department of Education authorised the VEC to retain Messrs. O'Sullivan and Partners to make a line drawing of the proposed multi-purpose sports hall in conjunction with the overall plans which had been presented. That plan has been prepared but since then the sub-committee and the CEO of the VEC have heard nothing on the project. That might be because the schools could not, because of their other commitments, come up with the contribution requested. However, if the Department showed a willingness to give a major grant such as has been given to other centres, the necessary local contribution would have been forthcoming. The major firms in the town and surrounding areas are willing to make major contributions. As well as that the trade union movements and the trade union council have given such a sports complex their full backing and are prepared to engage the support of their members. Will the Minister of State seriously reconsider the question of a grant for such a sports complex in Dungarvan?

The nearest sports complex recently grant-aided is in Ballybeg in Waterford city which is 30 miles from Dungarvan and 50 or 60 miles from areas which Dungarvan would cater for. County Waterford is geographically structured so that Waterford city is at the apex of an isosceles triangle. I am sure the Minister can imagine how far removed from Waterford are the portions of the county at the base of that triangle and how they could not benefit from a sports complex based in the city. Dungarvan is somewhat west of centre in the county and is an ideal location for such a complex. If any money is available it should be directed towards this project.

I understand that the tripartite committee which was set up last year as part of the national understanding allocated £8 million to the Minister's Department primarily for projects such as this and for youth employment schemes and that £5 million of that £8 million have now been allocated for sports complexes which vary in size. Some of them would cost in the region of £200,000, some will cost £100,000 and some will cost less than that. I understand that 60 locations throughout the country are earmarked for these moneys. What is causing annoyance in County Waterford is the fact that some of those projects were only presented to the Minister as late as last year. With all the planning and work that has gone into this complex, starting as long ago as eight years, it is understandable that people are quite upset about this. This centre would cater for some 30,000 people. That is a sizeable number of people and they are certainly in need of a major recreational centre. There has been a vast increase in employment in that area particularly in Dungarvan in the past ten years due to the advent of Waterford Glass, which is a major factory employing 500 young people. A number of smaller industries were set up and some others are planned in the immediate future. The growth in population has been quite considerable. I am sorry to say that the growth in recreational facilities has been virtually nil and voluntary effort has endeavoured, through local youth clubs, to fill the void. They cannot succeed because the type of money they get is only peanuts when considered with what is needed.

There is clear indication that there is need for such a centre. I am asking, in as nice a way as possible, that Dungarvan be given first priority if any of the the £5 million which has been allocated is not spent. As usual with such major schemes where there are so many projects outlined some will fall by the wayside due to lack of local commitment or lack of local funds. We would be only too glad to avail of any such money, preferably in the £200,000 category. The project planned and presented by the architects would require in excess of that sum. The statutory bodies, voluntary bodies and local industry in the town can be depended on to meet the proportion of local contribution which is demanded by the Department.

Dungarvan Urban Council allocated a site for the proposed sports complex. That site is still there. It was earmarked for a sports complex and has never been used for anything else nor will it be. The ground work has been done and I should like the Minister to reciprocate by providing the grant in question.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Mr. Tunney)

Taking the words of Deputy Deasy in respect of the "nice way" in which he presented his case, one is prevented from digging too deeply into the background of sport and physical recreational requirements in this country. One is not given an opportunity of referring with relish to the situation that obtained regarding the provision of sporting and recreational facilities during the bleak years of 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976 leading to a situation where in 1977 when I inherited the title of Minister for Sport I inherited that which is best described by people in Mayo and other areas as the double negative. I was presented with a situation where in my Department in respect of financial provision for these urgent needs there was nothing for nobody. The double negative describes more aptly than that which might be more correct grammatically the true position; no staff, no money, no sports council, nothing. That is as far as I intend going back.

I should like to give the background to get Deputy Deasy to accept that in respect of the alleged application there was no error in the Department because since my arrival in the Department, bearing in mind changes which have occurred, there was established a special youth and sport section dealing exclusively with non-formal educational requirements. The Deputy knows that in respect of primary, secondary and third level education there are the traditional sections which deal with that. My assigned duties and responsibilities refer to the non-formal educational requirements and we have been dealing with those although keeping in contact of a kind with the other sections of the Department.

The Deputy knows that our area is a specific one. We were given the responsibility this year of administering the new scheme arising from funds which became available to us from the tripartite fund, topped up by the Government, and we worked exclusively on information, intimations and applications which were in the youth and sport section. We had, and this is a worthwhile reflection on the growth that has occurred, a sufficiency of that type of live application which enabled us to pursue the matter as requested by the Taoiseach, following his announcement about the availability of this money, so that in a short period of some weeks we were able to present to him and to the tripartite committee—I should like to thank them and express my appreciation and indebtedness to them for accepting the need that exists and will continue to exist for the provision of these facilities—an acceptable plan.

When Deputy Deasy refers to the dormant or neglected application or proposal which lay in some pigeonhole in some section of the Department of Education because, as he admits, the requirement of the day in respect of the 30 per cent contribution had not been satisfied, he is not accepting the nature of the fund from which we operated in the allocation of moneys for these recreational facilities. As a Deputy representing that constituency it is understandable that he is disappointed that Dungarvan did not figure in those allocations but I expect that he shares with me the joy that part of his consitiuency did figure. That area having been satisfied there is a greater likelihood that Dungarvan, and other parts of his constituency, will have the facilities which, as I stated earlier, are as urgent as any other educational facilities in that constituency, or in any other. As I stated we inherited a rather sick state in the Department.

Mr. L'Estrange

It is a fairly sick State now. At least we did not threaten to take away school transport.

Mr. Tunney

Provoked by Deputy L'Estrange I want to compare the position that exists now and that which existed when we took office. I should like to tell the Deputy that in respect of youth and sport when I took over this Department we had a fund of less than £220,000. This year there will be a sum in excess of £11 million.

Mr. L'Estrange

What have the Government done for the health boards? They are £1 million short and the patients will suffer. I should like to hear more about the future and less about the past.

Mr. Tunney

I thought the Deputy shared with me the respect, the awareness and the need that exists for sporting facilities.

Mr. L'Estrange

I do but I do not think there is any need to go back to the past. We can all refer to the past.

Mr. Tunney

The National Coalition could only allocate less than £250,000.

Mr. L'Estrange

What did Fianna Fáil allocate before 1972? If the Minister is anxious to refer to the past I can go back also.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Deputy does not have anything to do with the question before the House.

Mr. Tunney

I am sure the Deputy will accept that in Mullingar where the people joined together to provide facilities I was in a position to give them a substantial grant. Whether politically that damages the Deputy in his constituency or not I do not know.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

We must confine the debate to Waterford.

Mr. Tunney

I am being given an opportunity of demonstrating the remarkable progress that has been made in the last three years.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

That is fair enough but Deputy L'Estrange is not relevant.

Mr. Tunney

I am also being given an opportunity of telling Deputy Deasy that I appreciate his concern. I regret that the same concern is not being shown by Deputy L'Estrange in regard to the need that exists to keep spending money in this important area. For Deputy L'Estrange to ask why it is not being spent on health or other areas is doing an injustice to my area. I hope that in his party he does not begrudge the moneys the Government give me to spend on sporting, recreational and physical education facilities.

Mr. L'Estrange

I did not say that.

Mr. Tunney

The Deputy complained that money was not being spent in other areas.

Mr. L'Estrange

Just as the Minister said about previous years.

Mr. Tunney

I appreciate that Deputy Deasy accepts that Dungarvan is in need of these facilities. I assure him that in the event of any withdrawal from the 64 applications we have that Dungarvan will figure on the substitute list. So that he will not be too optimistic I should like to tell him that to date we have researched all those projects and, as yet, there has not been one withdrawal. We also have other applications. Cases have been made in respect of other regions which were not included and we will have to honour the promises we made to them.

Mr. Deasy

I doubt if any has been mooted for such a long time or is at such an advanced stage of planning.

Mr. Tunney

There are one or two but the Deputy has my assurance that in the advent of a withdrawal or of additional moneys coming to us I will bear in mind the telling case he has made for the inclusion of Dungarvan. I can assure the Deputy that the application was not live in the area of youth and sport in my Department. The application to which we referred when replying to the parliamentary question was late and so narrow in its provision as to have it excluded from consideration under this fund. I should like to express my appreciation and thanks to the trade union movement and the employers who belatedly, as belatedly, perhaps, as some of the politicians, have accepted the need and the urgency that exists in respect of providing for our people, young and not so young, facilities for the employment of their spare time in a gainful and healthy fashion.

The Dáil adjourned at 8.55 pm until 10.30 am on Wednesday, 11 June 1980.