Eamon Gilmore
Question:60 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will give a progress report on the construction of the national stadium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3441/99]
Other Questions. - Proposed Stadia.
Ruairí Quinn
Question:70 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation when the next meeting of the National Stadium steering committee will be held; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1916/99]
Eamon Gilmore
Question:74 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the contact, if any, he has had with the Football Association of Ireland in relation to its recent announcement of a stadium for the Citywest site, Dublin 24; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3442/99]
Ruairí Quinn
Question:82 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will offer Government support to the plans produced by the Football Association of Ireland for the arena stadium in Dublin 24; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3443/99]
Austin Deasy
Question:88 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if two new major stadia are being planned for the Dublin area, one by the Football Association of Ireland in Saggart, Dublin 24 and another by a mainly private consortium in the Phoenix Park area; if he has met the prospective developers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3491/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 60, 70, 74, 82 and 88 together.
On 13 October of last year, the Government agreed to the commissioning of a feasibility study for the development of a national stadium, and to the establishment of a stadium steering committee to conduct the feasibility study and to make recommendations based on the findings of the study.
The steering committee is chaired by Mr. Derek Keogh and includes representatives from major sporting organisations, including the FAI, the GAA and the IRFU, as well as representatives from the private sector and a number of Government Departments. Through this process, the major sporting organisations, including the FAI, will be in a position to bring their perspectives to bear.
The committee will oversee the preparation of a feasibility study which will address the issues necessary for the Government to make an early decision on the matter. The study will examine a range of issues relevant to the feasibility of developing and operating a stadium, the economic, social and other benefits that can be expected to be derived, and will analyse potential demand for use of the facilities from various sporting, entertainment and other commercial categories. Such analysis will clearly need to take cognisance of all existing and proposed stadia developments, such as the plans recently announced by the FAI for a stadium in west Dublin.
A process to select experts to carry out the feasibility study is now under way, and a number of consultants have been invited to submit tenders for the task by a deadline of today, 9 February. The next meeting of the steering committee is scheduled for 22 February. It is expected that the finalised feasibility study and the steering committee's recommendations on it will be available for consideration by the Government by September 1999.
Meanwhile, the FAI in presenting its proposals for its arena project has indicated that it intends putting in place arrangements to ensure that its proposed stadium will be self-financing and not reliant on external grant aid. No application for funding has been received from the FAI by my Department in respect of this project. The chief executive of the FAI has recently written to me to arrange to give me and Minister of State, Deputy Flood, a full presentation on the project and I look forward to meeting the association shortly in this regard. I am not aware of any recent proposals for a stadium in the Phoenix Park area, nor have I met any prospective developers in this context.
Dr. Upton
To what extent will the expert group interact with the major sporting organisations, for example, with the FAI as regards its new stadium plan and also with the GAA as regards Croke Park? The outcome of the report and its recommendations will be conditioned by the response the group receives from the major sporting bodies, for example, from the GAA as regards the use of Croke Park by a larger number of sporting bodies.
All the various sporting organisations are represented on the steering committee and we have already sent out tenders for a feasibility study to be carried out. This will determine the position of the FAI and the GAA as regards their stadia plans. We are interested in the outcome of the feasibility study which will determine if the development of a national stadium is possible. However, I am sure the FAI and the IRFU are as interested in the result of the feasibility study as we are. As the FAI has said it is going ahead with its stadium, it will be interested, perhaps more than any other body, in the results of the feasibility study.
It seems extraordinary that a number of national stadia have been proposed recently. We have waited for such developments for 20 or 30 years and other than the extension and modernisation of Croke Park, nothing has happened. The GAA has made its decision and has built the bulk of what it proposed to develop. The new Cusack stand has been built and the development of the canal end is in progress. This seems to isolate the GAA, which is unfortunate as Croke Park is inhibited by the lack of parking in the vicinity.
I referred to Phoenix Park in my question but I was fishing in the dark to a degree. The racehorse owner and international currency dealer, J.P. McManus, announced some months ago that he was willing to put up a considerable amount of money, £10 million, £20 million or £30 million, towards the construction of a national stadium, which confused me a little. However, if he is prepared to do that and if he has others on board, that is fine. Is he part of the group of various sporting organisations to which the Minister referred?
The FAI has proposed a new soccer stadium for Saggart.
A question please, Deputy.
This is a great idea and has been welcomed by all soccer followers in the country. It should have been done years ago when we were on the crest of a wave. How will these four proposals – Croke Park, Mr. McManus' project, the FAI project and the Minister's grandiose scheme, which I welcome – be moulded together? Surely what we need is a large super stadium for every major sport?
I agree with the Deputy that we require one major stadium for sport. However, I disagree with him as regards Croke Park. The Deputy will be aware that Croke Park is operational practically every week of the year, for Leinster matches, club finals, and womens' football which has undergone a recent upsurge.
It is ladies' football.
We know a little bit about that in Waterford.
Yes, Waterford knows more about that. Other stadia have to be used for these matches. This country requires a national stadium. San Francisco has an approximate population of one to two million people and it has five stadia. One national stadium in addition to Croke Park would be the ideal solution.
As regards J.P. McManus, he is represented on the committee by a solicitor. As I said previously, the culture in this country tends to change slowly, sometimes too slowly. However, I hope the culture that gave rise to the likes of J. P. McManus never changes and that we will continue to have people like him who are entrepreneurs and interested in sport and who are willing to put their money, as a gift to the nation, into sport.
With regard to the FAI, I have welcomed its proposal for a stadium in west Dublin. It is long overdue. I believe it could have built a stadium some years ago. Now that the FAI has made its announcement and I have established a steering committee to examine the feasibility of a national stadium, we are both watching each other. However, I guarantee the Deputy that the feasibility study will go ahead. It will take into consideration the proposed FAI stadium and the possibility that that stadium might not come to fruition. The FAI will be as interested in the results of the feasibility study as I and other Deputies.
Dr. Upton
To what extent will the location of the stadium be a factor in the considerations of the expert group? Is the proposal for a stadium or for a sports complex which includes shopping centres, hotels and the other facilities which are attached to these stadia in other countries?
I cannot answer the Deputy's question because it is a matter for the steering committee. However, the indication was that the stadium would be an all purpose facility to cater for all sports, including entertainment.
These are concepts for the future but I support the general principle. Is the Minister satisfied that the path he is adopting is clear in so far as he will not leave himself open to legal challenge from those who might believe they did not benefit from the application of due process to their proposals for the national stadium? Following the feasibility study, does the Minister hope to be in a position this year or next year to provide capital funding for the commencement of this project?
We would not undertake a feasibility study unless the Government was determined to take it on board. The political will is there. I am fortunate to have a Taoiseach and a Minister for Finance whose spiritual homes are in Croke Park and the Curragh as opposed to Croagh Patrick and Lough Derg. I am sure funding will be available. I am also quite comfortable with regard to the other issue mentioned by the Deputy.