Vol. 565 No. 4
114 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on media reports that the proposed stadium development with the IRFU and FAI would cost ?500 million; his Department's plans in regard to this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11240/03]
117 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the groups, agencies or bodies with which he or his Department has had discussions in the context of a national sports stadium or similar such venture; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11296/03]
118 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress in relation to the negotiations or discussions he has had with sporting groups or organisations in regard to a national stadium or alternative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11297/03]
119 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his preferred options in regard to a national stadium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11298/03]
120 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the full cost to date, including site investigations, in regard to the possible provision of a national stadium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11299/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 117 to 120, inclusive, together.
In February last, I met the IRFU and the FAI and requested them to assess and delineate their needs for stadium facilities and to come back to me with proposals for meeting these needs. I received an executive summary of their report yesterday and the final report will be available on 28 April next. I am currently examining the proposals in the IRFU and FAI executive summary report with a view to finalising my overall report to Government on all options for the provision of modern stadium facilities for major sporting events. This report will also incorporate my evaluation of expressions of interest received in the procurement of a privately funded stadium at Abbotstown. I do not intend making any further statement on the matter until the Government has decided on the further action to be taken.
In relation to expenditure to date on the national stadium project, €3.1 million has been expended since 2000 on the Sports Campus Ireland project, including the National Aquatic Centre, in respect of planning, site survey work and general preparation and development of the entire campus site. Meetings have taken place with the three major sporting bodies, the Gaelic Athletic Association, the Football Association of Ireland and the Irish Rugby Football Union in connection with the stadium project. Discussions have also taken place with the following agencies: the Office of Public Works, Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited, the Department of Finance, the National Treasury Management Agency, Dublin Docklands Development Authority and Dúchas, the heritage service.
115 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if any of the 23 groups which showed an expression of interest in the Abbotstown site contacted him or his Department since he stated that their original proposals were unacceptable; if so, the number of the groups which did so; if he sought to contact any of the groups involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11241/03]
The Government has not made a definitive determination that the proposals received in response to the invitation for expressions of interest from the private sector were unacceptable. In my statement of 26 February I intimated that my initial assessment of the expressions of interest received was that there would be difficulties in meeting the expectations of many of those who responded to the invitation. Since then, my Department has been contacted by two of those companies or consortia. Their concerns have been addressed and the current state of play has been clarified for them.
It is my intention to report to Government, at an early date, on the issues involved in meeting the expectations of the major sporting bodies in the matter of providing modern stadium facilities. This report will incorporate my evaluation of the overall response received to the expressions of interest initiative as well as a report on the requirements and preferences of the IRFU and FAI for additional stadium facilities, which I expect to receive this week. My Department will be in touch with all those who have made an input to the process to inform them in due course of the outcome of the Government's deliberations on the stadium issue.
116 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if the Irish Glass Bottle Company site has been accessed while processing possible sites for a national stadium; if so, the relevant costs estimated to acquire the site and to possibly develop it as a national stadium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11242/03]
The Irish Glass Bottle Company site was one of the sites included in Office of Public Works's site evaluation that was provided in September 2002 to a stadium working group established in my Department. It is also one of the sites considered in an analysis being prepared by the IRFU and FAI on how best the stadium needs of these organisations might be met.
The September 2002 report contained an estimated cost of site acquisition for each of the sites examined, where appropriate. However, these estimates constitute commercially sensitive information and in any event were simply indicative, as the acquisition cost could only be definitively determined by the marketplace. As it would prejudice the Government's negotiating position should the acquisition of the site ever become an issue, I do not consider that it would be in the public interest to divulge this information at this time.
It is my intention to bring a proposal to Government to address the question of providing stadium facilities in the context, inter alia, of the response received to the expressions of interest initiative as well as the IRFU-FAI report.
