Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 22 Oct 2002

Vol. 555 No. 5

Written Answers. - Sports Capital Programme.

Brendan Howlin

Question:

91 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the amount of funding provided to date by the Government to the GAA for the upgrading of Croke Park and other purposes; the amount of funding which is outstanding; when the outstanding funding will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19072/02]

Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Mr. O'Donoghue)

The national lottery-funded sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national levels throughout the country towards the provision of sport and recreational facilities. Under this programme, grants totalling €68.3 million have been allocated for Gaelic games facilities in the period 1998 to 2002.

In addition, the Irish Sports Council, as the statutory body with responsibility for, inter alia, the promotion and development of sport, also provides grant aid to the GAA on an annual basis for the development of its sports through various schemes. A total of €2.9 million has been paid to date over the period 1998 to 2002 in funding under such schemes.

Specifically as regards Croke Park, grant aid amounting to €69,836 million has been sanctioned by the Government for its redevelopment, consisting of €6,349 million allocated in the budget of 1994; €25.4 million allocated in the budget of 1998 and paid out over the following three years; €19.05 million allocated in 2001 and paid in 2001 and 2002 in connection with the use of the stadium for the hosting of the Special Olympics World Games, 2003; €19.05 million allocated in March 2002 and paid in April and May 2002.

In line with my Department's procedures for sports capital funding, 5% of the total payment of each grant allocation is retained pending the receipt of certification of completion of the defects liability period of the project. Accordingly, final payments of €952,304 are still due for payment in relation to the certification required for the €19.05 million allocations made in both 2001 and 2002. These will be paid when the required certificates have been received and approved by my Department.

A letter of April 2001 to the GAA set out proposals for future Government financial contributions to the organisation in the context of planned use by the GAA of the facilities to be provided at Stadium and Sports Campus Ireland. It was envisaged at the time that these arrangements would be enshrined in a formal agreement between the organisation and the Government at a later stage in the process. In the light of last month's Government decision not to provide Exchequer funding for the national stadium, the funding proposals outlined last year must now be revisited. A meeting has been arranged for tomorrow, Wednesday, 23 October, involving the Taoiseach, the Minister for Finance and myself on the one hand and representatives of the GAA on the other to discuss outstanding issues, including financial support.

Question No. 92 answered with Question No. 89.

Questions Nos. 93 and 94 answered with Question No. 85.