Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 6 May 1999

Vol. 504 No. 3

Written Answers. - Sports Capital Programme.

Austin Deasy

Question:

29 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the sporting stadia the Government has supported financially; the sporting stadia being planned which it intends to assist; and the extent of the financing in each case. [11786/99]

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Dr. McDaid)

Under the sports capital programme, administered by my Department, a variety of sporting activities at national, regional and local levels, including stadia, have been grant-aided since the programme was first introduced in 1988. In the case of national facilities, to date funding has been allocated to five national governing bodies for the development or upgrading of their national centres. These relate to GAA: £5 million for the first phase of the Croke Park development, athletics: Morton Stadium – £1.7 million, basketball: National Arena – £1.8 million, hockey: UCD pitch – £0.7 million and boxing: National Stadium – £0.26 million.

My Department also administers the £20 million grant to the GAA towards the ongoing development of Croke Park. The grant is being paid over a three year period 1998-2000. To date, an amount of £7 million has been paid in respect of work done to date.

No decisions have yet been made on what national facilities, if any, will be funded under the 1999 round of grant allocations under the sports capital programme. However, I recently decided that an in-depth feasibility study should be commissioned in relation to a proposal to develop an indoor facility at Morton Stadium. The study will examine a number of issues, including the demand for such a facility and the optimum scale and projected costs of the proposed facility.

In relation to the development of a national stadium, the Deputy should note that in October last year, the Government agreed to the commissioning of a feasibility study, and to the establishment of a stadium steering committee to conduct 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.

The committee is overseeing 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, including 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.

The steering committee expect that the finalised feasibility study, and the recommendations on it, will be available for consideration by the Government by September 1999.