Vol. 537 No. 4
16 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the reason he did not include in his reply to Parliamentary Question No 50 of 1 May 2001 information contained in a letter from the second secretary of the Department of Finance (details supplied) which suggested that the real estimate for the costs of stadium-campus Ireland were considerably in excess of those being given by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16191/01]
18 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the projected cost of all elements of the stadium-campus Ireland at the latest date for which figures are available, including any estimates or projections provided to his Department by the Department of Finance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16189/01]
59 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the most recent costings available in respect of the proposed national stadium; if these costings include road or bridge building works outside of the immediate stadium but likely to be required in the event of the stadium going ahead; the full extent of the seating and or other accommodation envisaged at this stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16292/01]
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 16, 18 and 59 together.
As I have set out in the House on previous occasions, Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited estimate the cost of the sports-campus Ireland project to be £550 million. This includes the cost of the 80,000 seat stadium as estimated in the PricewaterhouseCoopers feasibility study entitled A Stadium for the New Century, namely £230 million.
The other facilities included in the tender competition for bids now under way for sports-campus Ireland include a 15,000 to 20,000 seat multi-purpose indoor arena; indoor-outdoor training facilities for all sports; a sports science and medical centre; headquarters accommodation for the national governing bodies of sport; accommodation for athletes; a tennis centre; a golf academy; a velodrome; a 100 acre parkland; a major children's play area-educational facility; and hotels, restaurants and parking. The national aquatic and leisure centre, to be known as the Pool @ Abbotstown, was the subject of a separate tender competition and which is now complete.
CSID estimated that the private sector will contribute £150 million to the cost of the project and a further £50 million has been offered as a private donation. This leaves an estimated Exchequer requirement of £350 million. These costs do not provide for infrastructural works in the Dublin 15 area, which have already been provided for in the national development plan and which are being considered by a high level group set up by the Government and chaired by the secretary generals of the Departments of the Environment and Local Government and Public Enterprise.
The outline bids for stadium and sports-campus Ireland, which are due to be received by CSID on 21 June, will be the first response from the market to the costs of building the proposed facilities. I am happy to await the outcome of this process and the report of the independent cost overview, which my Department is currently in the process of commissioning, so that the Government can determine the best way forward.
