I appreciate that your office, a Cheann Comhairle, facilitated both myself and Deputy Deenihan this evening and I am particularly glad the Minister is in the House. My concern is in relation to a broadcast on Kerry Radio last week quoting a Department source stating that this project is not on the short list of projects to be funded by the Minister under her programme. I remind the Minister that she met the organising group for the Tinteán Theatre Project, Ceoil Chiarraí, as the production company, and the North Kerry Arts, Culture and Heritage Society in 1997. When they visited her in her constituency, they explained to her that they had fund raised, particularly abroad, in relation to their project and that they had £100,000 saved. It is fair to quote the Minister as encouraging the deputation to keep on fund raising and to carry on with the project.
Since that time, the company has put itself in a very sound financial situation. It has developed from a very small humble origin back in the 1980s. It has toured abroad, particularly Australia and the United States, where it is very well established, and Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and the Benelux countries. Through hard work and endeavour, it is a very well established company. When it met the Minister in 1997 – I think it was the only occasion – it only had £100,000, but it has greatly enhanced its situation. It has received a site from Kerry County Council in Ballybunion with a value of £250,000. It has fund raised £600,000 through its efforts and work abroad, which is in the bank. It also has a bank facility for £200,000. The overall cost of the project is in the region of £1.4 million.
The application has been made to the Minister for a sum in the region of £650,000. While the area has some world renown in terms of the golf facilities, the seaside resort has not particularly benefited from the Celtic tiger or industrial development. It is extremely unlikely that Ballybunion will be assisted by or benefit from industrial development given the disadvantage Kerry is at in terms of the Border, midland and western regions. This is an opportunity for double assistance by way of Government grant.
We are talking about over 80 permanent jobs. The company needs a base and the ideal place where it wants to be situated, in co-operation with the local authority, is Ballybunion. We are talking about a great opportunity. At present it is using a facility in Killarney where it has a show seven nights per week. It is successful but it is a temporary private family arrangement in Killarney. There are potential contracts with Paramount Studios. There is a possibility for a further 200 to 300 jobs for shows in the Paramount Studios theme parks all over the United States of America. It is what I would consider to be a very viable project. It is locally based, locally driven and well supported by the local community. Over 300 people attended a public meeting in Ballybunion last Monday at 4 p.m. because of the concern in the town and area regarding the broadcast that north Kerry would not benefit under the Minister's scheme which, I understand, will be announced in the next number of weeks.
The business plan, which is extremely well prepared and thorough, holds out the very real prospect that what the company needs is a once-off capital grant to enable it to provide a base. It needs a facility of its own. At present it has 82 people in full-time employment from all parts of Kerry and abroad. It has a payroll bill of approximately £25,000 a week in the local economy. However, it needs a full-time training facility, particularly during the winter season. It needs a base in Ballybunion. It has registered charitable status and it is well located in the community.
I ask the Minister to assure the House that its application is still under consideration. I would be surprised if an official of the Department gave out information to the effect that north Kerry was being excluded for any particular reason or because there is another project in south Kerry and that only one project in Kerry will benefit. They are totally different as I understand the basis of the two projects. This is a very sustainable project offering jobs to an area to which, I am sure Deputy Deenihan will agree, it has been very difficult to attract overseas and local investment over the last number of years. It has benefited from the seaside resort scheme which we brought to Cabinet in the mid-1990s. That has had a certain benefit in Ballybunion.
It is fair to say all Coalition Governments in recent years have encouraged people to fund raise, to raise capital locally and to have a good local support base. That is what we have in this project. We have good people who have organised and worked very hard and long hours to raise the money. I ask the Minister to give us an assurance that this project will receive consideration. I have no problem with the decision making process as long as this project is given a fair shake when it comes to the distribution on the basis of its viability, and this is a very viable project and a very necessary one for Ballybunion.