Vol. 516 No. 1
113 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the number of national sporting facilities proposed for the Dublin region; the level of investment; the groups, clubs and associations which will be accommodated in these facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7112/00]
Under the 1999 sports capital programme, over £5 million was allocated towards the provision of sports and recreational facilities in the Dublin area. Included in this figure was a grant of £1.3 million towards the refurbishment of the National Boxing Stadium and £740,000 towards developments at Dalymount Park and Tolka Park. In addition, £7 million was paid towards the cost of ongoing developments at Croke Park, with a further payment of £6 million earmarked for the project in 2000. Proposals for the provision of a new indoor athletics facility at Morton Stadium, Santry, are under consideration. The Deputy will be aware that the Taoiseach announced in January of this year that the Government has decided to proceed with the building of a national stadium, in Abbotstown, as part of a campus of sporting excellence to be known as Sports Campus Ireland.
The sports capital programme for 2000 was advertised in early December 1999 with a closing date of 11 February 2000 for the receipt of completed applications. Over 1,600 applications were received and the initial processing of these has commenced. All the applications received under the programme will be evaluated against the programme's assessment criteria which are outlined in the guidelines which accompanied the application form and I hope to be in a position to announce the grant allocations by June 2000. No decision has yet been made on what additional national facilities, if any, will be funded in the Dublin area under the 2000 programme.
