Vol. 560 No. 2
9 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the terms of the offer the Government has made to the Irish Rugby Football Union regarding Exchequer investment in the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road or an alternative stadium; the objectives of this offer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2040/03]
I have already advised the House in response to earlier Priority Questions that in the context of the finalisation of the joint bid to UEFA by Scotland and Ireland the Government agreed that, in the event that the bid was successful, it would seek the approval of the Oireachtas to provide financial support to help either upgrade capacity at Lansdowne Road or provide equivalent capacity at an alternative venue to be provided by the IRFU which would not alone comply with the international rugby requirements of the IRFU but also meet with the standards of UEFA for hosting major events.
This commitment was made in the context of the need for a second stadium to be available in Dublin to host some of the matches of the championships. As the bid was unsuccessful, that commitment no longer arises. Nevertheless, I can assure the Deputy that the requirement of the IRFU and the FAI for a modern stadium for their prestige international fixtures is central to my consideration of issues around the development of a new stadium.
