Vol. 515 No. 1
3 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the reason a person from his Department served as secretary to the National Stadium Steering Committee; the length of time the secretary has devoted to this task; the cost to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4026/00]
As I informed the Deputy on 16 December 1998, 27 April 1999 and 13 October 1999 in response to similar questions, the Government announced on 13 October 1998 that it had agreed to commission a feasibility study for the development of a stadium for the new century and appointed a stadium steering committee to oversee the process.
The feasibility study, conducted by a consortium of consultants led by PricewaterhouseCoopers, has been completed and presented to the Government with the recommendations of the steering committee. The study and recommendations were laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 26 January last. The work of the steering committee has been completed and the Deputy will be aware of the Government's decision to proceed with the development of the Sports Campus Ireland and Stadium Ireland. On 9 February, the Dáil agreed to support the Government's decision.
The official who acted as secretary to the stadium steering committee undertook the task in addition to his normal duties. In addition to the administrative costs arising from the work of the stadium steering committee, the main cost to my Department was that of the feasibility study, the amount of which was £380,033, which I stated previously.
Has the Taoiseach held discussions with the Football Association of Ireland about its project for Eircom Park, which is running parallel to the Government's national stadium proposal? In the event that Eircom Park goes ahead, as I expect it will, will he confirm pro rata assistance will made available for it from public funds, in the same way as it was made available for Croke Park?
That is the Government's position. I have had a number of meetings with the president, the secretary general and other officials and that is the understanding of those discussions.
How many meetings did the Taoiseach have with the president of the FAI in the past two to three weeks regarding Eircom Park? I appeal to him to discontinue the war of attrition against leading figures in the FAI and the serious attempt to undermine the credibility of decent people who are doing a job on behalf of a sporting organisation? What we have witnessed in the past two weeks—
The Deputy should confine himself to questions.
—is an attempt to undermine the credibility of good people to further the Government's project in Abbotstown. What specific meetings did the Taoiseach have with the president and senior officials of the FAI in the past two to three weeks? What discussions took place on Eircom Park?
I do not know anything about some of the matters raised by the Deputy. I have had a number of informal meetings with senior members of the Football Association of Ireland. I met some of them at a function this morning. I spoke to most of the senior officers at the recent FAI Opel awards dinner and I hope to meet some more of them tonight at another function. Not many weeks pass that I do not talk to an official at an FAI match.
