Vol. 565 No. 4
7 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the reasons the agreement with the Gaelic Athletic Association regarding funding for Croke Park has not been honoured by the Government; the position regarding Exchequer funding for the development of Croke Park; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11215/03]
The Government has provided financial support totalling €69.84 million up to the end of last year to the Gaelic Athletic Association towards the redevelopment of Croke Park. In the context of the development of a State financed national stadium at Abbotstown, special funding proposals were made in April 2001 to the GAA on the basis of the intended usage of the stadium facilities by the association when completed. This element of conditionality of the proposal was clear from the outset and it was also understood on all sides that a formal legal arrangement between the parties would be required before giving effect to it.
When the Government decided last September that it was not in a position to provide any Exchequer funding for a national stadium, the conditional proposal lapsed. As there was no binding agreement in place the question of dishonouring an agreement did not arise.
At a meeting on 23 October 2002, the Government clarified the situation to the GAA and advised it that a revised application for funding would be the best channel through which to seek further funding towards the redevelopment of Croke Park. The GAA, at the end of November 2002, submitted an application for an additional €39.5 million in funding for Croke Park. This application is with my Department at present. While, as I have already made clear on several occasions, there is no funding for this purpose available in my Department's Estimates for this year, I intend to bring the matter to the attention of the Government in the context of my overall report to the Government on the need for modern stadium facilities.
Was all the funding made available to the GAA in relation to the development of Croke Park drawn down through the Minister's Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism or was it just a straight Government grant issued through the Department of Finance? On previous occasions we have spoken about the opening up of Croke Park for other sporting events, and it is time the GAA made up its mind in that regard. Given the position of the development in Croke Park, however, which is practically completed, would the Minister not agree that this is the time for the Government to complete its commitment to the GAA in relation to that project, thus giving us one stadium fit for all sports? The GAA still has to address that option but I think we will see something forthcoming in that regard.
It is a pity to be at this stage with a stadium that people from all over the world have come to look at and that people have really admired as being of such stature in world sport and not to have completed it. I know the Minister has said he will bring the issue to Government and I appreciate that. I know the intentions of the Minister are positive in terms of completing Croke Park but this is one opportunity that we should not let go begging. We want to move on and everybody in this House is fully in agreement with moving on to the provision of the national stadium that was discussed already. I ask the Minister if the Croke Park project is not something that can be completed and finished, thus allowing us to move on to the further development of sport.
In respect of Croke Park, €69.8 million has been allocated in funding to the GAA to date, of which €67.9 million has been paid. The €1.9 million which is outstanding to the GAA for Croke Park relates to the fact that, in line with my Department's procedures for sports capital funding, 5% of the total payment of each grant allocation is retained pending receipt of certification of completion of the fixed liability period of the project.
With regard to organisations that are affiliated to the GAA and club level and so on, €68.3 million has been allocated since 1998. Obviously this is by far and away the highest proportion given to any sporting organisation in the country. In November 2002, the GAA made an application to my Department for payment of €39.5 million. That money was to have been paid to the GAA in the event of an Exchequer-funded national stadium proceeding. As we all know, the Government decided in October 2002 not to proceed with an Exchequer-funded national stadium. Therefore, the commitment to the GAA fell.
The application which the GAA has now made to my Department will be discussed in due course with the Government and a decision will be reached. We all want to see Croke Park developed to its fullest potential and all recognise the contribution the GAA has made to society. The difficulty relates to the monetary situation. Earlier today we spoke about difficulties in other areas, and at this point I do not have any funding available to me that I, in turn, could make available to the GAA for Croke Park. Any funding which I have available at present under the sports capital programme is for far smaller projects than that and for distribution across the country. There is a question dealing with that matter later.
In short, the Government will discuss the application by the GAA in due course. I do not have any funding available in my Department to pay funds to the GAA this year. Normally, funding for Croke Park would come through the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism.
That concludes Priority Questions and we now come to the ordinary questions. Given that we have had so many long answers and long supplementary questions, I remind Members that supplementary questions and answers are limited to one minute each. Question No. 8—
A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I would like to ask one supplementary question if that is acceptable to the Minister.
Very briefly.
Were the proposals put to the Minister yesterday prioritised or just listed as five applications that had to be processed by his Department? Did the consultants actually prioritise them on behalf of the IRFU and FAI or were they just submitted as five proposals?
Five proposals were outlined in the provisional report which I received yesterday but they were marked in lozenge-type graphs. The answer to the Deputy's question is that the Government, in the final analysis, will have to make a decision as to the location, if any.
