Vol. 520 No. 4
37 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he has received any application for financial assistance from the Football Association of Ireland for the Eircom Park project; his views on any such possible assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15910/00]
My Department has not received any application for financial assistance from the FAI for the Eircom Park project. The FAI made separate presentations of their Arena proposal to the Taoiseach, the Minister for Finance and myself prior to the public launch of their project. The FAI representatives were at pains to make it clear to the Government that their project would be self-financing and not reliant on any external grant aid. This was subsequently confirmed in the documentation that accompanied the public launch of the arena project. The FAI did state that they had longer term plans for the construction of a national youth coaching and Development Centre and said that it was likely that they would be seeking Government support for that project.
The House will be aware that the Government's clearly expressed wish is that the FAI come on board the Stadium Ireland project. In my view it makes sports and business sense for the FAI to avail of the Stadium Ireland facility.
The FAI could have full use of the National Stadium and it would not be faced with capital debt repayments or infrastructural costs. In the event that the FAI decides to come on board the Stadium Ireland project it would be able to expend its financial resources, currently being earmarked for the development of Eircom Park, on the development of soccer in this country on an unprecedented scale.
The Government's announcement of Sports Campus Ireland is part of an overall strategy to allow individual sports associations to concentrate on developing and investing in their own sports at all levels.
