Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 April 2004
170 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position in regard to developing state of the art sports facilities at the Abbotstown site in view of the recent decision to locate the national stadium at Lansdowne Road; the latest meetings the Minister has had with sporting bodies regarding the use of future facilities at Abbotstown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10636/04]
View answer268 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position in regard to the future of lands at Abbotstown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10881/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 268 together.
The Government has agreed to proceed with the development of a sporting campus at Abbotstown. Following the decision by the Government on 27 January last, I met the board of Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited, on 2 February. I outlined the Government's views for the sports campus to them and asked them to provide me with a phased and prioritised proposal, with a sporting and business case and annual budgets in respect of each element of the campus. I indicated that the delivery of the component elements of the campus should be put forward within a realistic timeframe by building on and updating the existing framework plan for the site, in consultation with the various interested parties and taking account of developments which have taken place in the meantime.
While the precise elements of the campus will emanate from revisiting the existing framework plan and from the consultative process which has already commenced, it is likely that the campus will include pitches and training facilities, administrative facilities for the smaller sporting bodies which depend very largely on voluntary commitment. It might also include medical and training support for elite athlete development and, eventually, an indoor sporting arena, which it is expected would attract private sector investment.
CSID has been given the responsibility for translating this concept into an action plan for delivery and overseeing a programme of development that, over time, will be seen as accomplishing a major transformation in the quality of Ireland's sporting infrastructure. As I indicated, the process of consultation with the various interested parties, in particular the national governing bodies of sport, has commenced and I expect to receive the outline proposals for the campus from CSID by the autumn.
