Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Mar 2001

Vol. 532 No. 1

Written Answers. - National Sports Stadium.

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

51 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the total fees agreed with a firm, details supplied, for its role in the design of the proposed Stadium Campus Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6604/01]

Bernard Allen

Question:

56 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will make a statement outlining whether the increased costs involved in the construction of the national stadium are due solely to the extra facilities being provided or to an escalation in building costs. [2259/01]

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

59 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will clarify whether the costings for Stadium Ireland, given in the original consultant's report, details supplied, referred to the stadium only; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2083/01]

Brian O'Shea

Question:

63 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the total projected cost of all elements of the Stadium Campus Ireland at the latest date for which figures are available; when construction is expected to commence; the specific commitments which have been received from national sporting organisations regarding the use of the venue; the discussions which have been had with local residents' organisations regarding their concerns regarding the impact of the development on their communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6601/01]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

64 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the plans he has in regard to the extent and range of facilities to be provided in the proposed national stadium; the up to date cost of the project; the intended starting and completion dates in respect of the works involved; the anticipated revenue to be generated by the stadium on its completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6695/01]

Joe Higgins

Question:

69 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will make a statement clarifying the costings for the proposed Stadium Ireland. [3074/01]

Brian O'Shea

Question:

74 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the total amount paid to date in consultancy and public relations fees arising from the Campus-Stadium Ireland project; the projected total cost of public relations or consultancy fees arising from the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6602/01]

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

78 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will make a statement on whether the planned Stadium Ireland will provide three quarters of the facilities needed for an Olympic bid. [6605/01]

Ivor Callely

Question:

317 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the progress which has been made by Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited on the national sport stadium; the facilities that have been agreed to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6115/01]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 51, 56, 59, 63, 64, 69, 74, 78 and 317 together.

I am delighted to be able to inform the House that since I last answered questions in the House, further progress has been made on the Sports Campus Ireland project.

An application for planning permission for the Aquatic and Leisure Centre, which will be known as The Pool at Abbotstown, was lodged with Fingal County Council on 22 December last and permission was granted on 20 February. It is hoped that work will begin in early summer.

When complete it will encompass a 50 metre swimming pool, 25 metre-diving pool-warm up-training waters, a major leisure water area, spectator facilities for national and international competition.

The Pool at Abbotstown is intended to provide state of the art swimming facilities for our competitive swimmers and will be a major leisure facility for families and the local communities. The Pool is scheduled for completion by December 2002 in order to be available for the Special Olympics World Summer Games which are being held here in 2003. Its development has been prioritised because of this, but it has been made clear in the architectural and environmental framework plan competition that it has to be integrated into the total site.

I had the pleasure of announcing Behnisch, Behnisch and Partners, the architectural practice responsible for developing the facilities for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, as the winner of an international architectural and environmental framework plan competition, at the offices of Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited – CSID – on Friday, 23 February. The competition which attracted a worldwide entry was set up by CSID to establish how best the overall Sports Campus Ireland site might be developed, to provide first class sporting facilities and to provide a facility for the wider and local communities. The framework plan suggests a logical and coherent approach to the development of the Sports Campus Ireland facilities proposed for the entire Sports Campus Ireland site at Abbotstown.

The facilities envisaged include the pool, the stadium, the arena, multipurpose halls, a tennis centre, a golf academy, a velodrome, a sports science and medical centre and headquarters for NGBs as well as pitches and playing fields and a 100 acre parkland. Planning permission will be required for all of Sports Campus Ireland. The possibility of using the special development zone method is being discussed at present.

All facilities on the site have now been put out to tender. The target date for their completion is the end of 2005. The successful consortia will work with Behnisch, Behnisch and Partners to ensure the overall complex is developed in line with the framework plan. Behnisch, Behnisch and Partners will be responsible for the development of all the public spaces and the 100 acres of parkland. With regard to Deputy Rabbitte's question about fees payable to Behnisch, Behnisch and Partners, I would point out that this is a matter for CSID, which is I understand in discussion with the firm on finalising fees.

CSID has also run a competition to set up an international panel of architects to be called on by the consortia in the creation of the individual buildings such as Stadium Ireland, the indoor arena and the sports science and medical centre etc. This competition again attracted wide interest from many of the world's top architects, including Irish architects, and a panel has been selected.

The Government is conscious of the need to provide proper infrastructure for Sports Campus Ireland and, importantly, for the greater Blanchardstown area in west Dublin and that the development of Sports Campus Ireland should be a catalyst in finding an acceptable solution to the transport problems in the area. To that end the Government has set up a specialist high level group to look at the public transport needs of the Campus and Blanchardstown in terms of: a metro link from Dublin Airport and the city centre; developing the rail infrastructure on the Maynooth line, which passes close to the Campus and can provide access from the west and the city centre; enhancing bus links and quality bus corridors, and access to the complex by improving road alignments with the M50.

As plans are developed the high level group will undertake a full consultation process with the local communities. I understand that the chairman of the group has written to the chairperson of Dublin 15 community council asking for their participation in the process. I also understand that CSID too is in discussions with the local community with regard to the impact of the development.

The cost of the stadium outlined in the original PricewaterhouseCoopers feasibility study is £230 million. That study also gave an initial guideline cost of £51 million for a campus of sporting excellence. As I explained in the House on 31 January last, Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited, on the basis of further work carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers and professional estimates of the cost of the commercial facilities planned, now estimate the cost of the campus, excluding the stadium, at £320 million, giving a total estimated cost of £550 million. Because CSID has decided to put the project to the market on a public private partnership basis, they estimate that the private sector will be prepared to invest £150 million in the project, mostly for the commercial facilities. When the private donation of £50 million is taken into account, the cost to the Exchequer of Sports Campus Ireland, including Stadium Ireland, is estimated at £350 million. When the tender competitions are over, we will know the value of each contract and will be able to move from "best estimates" to actual figures which will form the basis for contractual commitments.

I understand that consultancy costs amounting to £528,885.13 were incurred prior to the establishment of Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited. Such costs incurred by the Company since then, £39,500 up to the end of January, or which may be incurred in the future, are a day to day matter for the company. The estimated provision in my Department's Vote for this year for expenditure by CSID is £2 million.

CSID, as part of its responsibility for the development of the Sports Campus Ireland project, is in discussions with the NGBs with regard to their requirements for use of the facilities at Sports Campus Ireland, including their use of the stadium as a venue for sporting events, and the provision of offices there. The anticipated revenue to be generated by the stadium will be a function of the number of events that take place there.

Finally, with regard to Deputy Broughan's question, what I said at the launch of the architectural and environmental framework plan was that in view of the size and scope of Sports Campus Ireland, some experts involved in the preparation of the project have said that when it is complete we will have put in place about three-quarters of the facilities necessary for an Olympic bid. I'm not suggesting that that ought to be the next step, but neither do I believe we should ever allow our sights to be set low.