Jack Wall
Question:7 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the position regarding the provision of a national conference centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22328/01]
Other Questions. - National Conference Centre.
As stated in my reply to Question No. 52 on 31 May 2001, Bord Fáilte confirmed that, as no major construction work had taken place on site by January 2001, the grant contract with the developers of the proposed national conference centre at Spencer Dock formally terminated in March 2001. I also explained that I had asked Bord Fáilte to commission new research on the international conference market and the optimum positioning of Ireland within that market in order to enable me to return to Government on the issue. It should be borne in mind that the research on which the concept of a national conference centre was based was almost ten years old.
The current position is that the consultants have now presented their report entitled, Maximising Ireland's Potential in the International Conference Market, to Bord Fáilte. My Department is awaiting Bord Fáilte's response to the report and its recommendations before completing its examination of the report and when this process is complete I will be reporting to Government on the issue.
When answering this question last May the Minister indicated that the report would be with Bórd Fáilte within one month. Did it actually arrive within the month? Would it be correct to assume from the Minister's reply today that it is highly unlikely that any proposal in relation to the proposed national conference centre will go to Government within the lifetime of the Government? Thank God, we are coming close to the end of the Government.
We have quite some time to go yet. This has been a competent Government during the past four years and I am quite sure that, in times of turbulence, people will return to the many positive effects the Government has had during that period.
Yes, I did receive the report from Bórd Fáilte within the specified period. As I said, the research of the information available in this regard was about ten years old. I will have the report to Government within two or three weeks. We are still committed to a national conference centre. This is the only capital city in Europe that does not have such a centre. The report is very much geared towards conference marketing, on which we have been losing out. We have a site and planning permission for the national conference centre. It may well come to the stage where the Government will have to go ahead and build such a centre. The state aid situation has changed. Only 18% state aid is now available in the Dublin area. Therefore, it may take a Government decision to build it. The report will be before Government within the next few weeks.
In view of the Government's decentralisation policy, would it not be wise to look at another location for the national conference centre? I am sure the Minister is aware that the National Events Centre in Killarney can hold over 3,000 people. The Government should consider designating it as the national conference centre and provide extra money to upgrade its facilities.
I will be interested to hear the answer to the question about location. In view of what the Minister said, I still think he is pushing the decision away into the future. If there is a big change of policy, in terms of the State financing the national conference centre in full, is it likely that he will go forward with such a recommendation within the next two to three weeks, as he indicated?
With regard to location, we are involved in research which will determine where we place the national conference centre. I understand when this matter came up during the term of the previous Government it was also designated for Dublin. National conference centres are normally located in the country's capital city. That does not mean that we have do likewise, but access is an important factor. I know there is a facility in Killarney to transform existing conference areas into a national conference centre and accommodation would be available, but I wonder about access. I am not sure if that aspect is dealt with in the report.
Kerry Airport is available, even if Shannon may not be.
Yes, but the Deputy will appreciate the difference between it and an airport catering for 17 million people, as is currently the case at Dublin Airport. The location will be a matter for decision by Government. As I said, it is my personal opinion that, if we are to have a national conference centre, it may take a Government decision to go ahead and build it, because I do not think the incentive is there, with the current—
Another failure on the part of the Government.
The Government was left with problems right from the very beginning. It is not in any way a failure. The site is available and planning permission has been granted. We gave it over to Treasury Holdings to go ahead and build it, but it did not fulfil the contract.