Along with officials from my Department, I met with representatives of the European Tour on 30th September at the Ryder Cup in Paris and viewed the event infrastructure and facilities.
Along with the Taoiseach and officials, I attended a further meeting on 5th November with officials from the PGA European Tour. The purpose of the meeting was to explore the opportunities that may exist for hosting the Ryder Cup in Ireland in the future. Discussions are at a very early stage and no State support or funding has been committed in relation to any future event.
The hosting of major sporting events brings very considerable benefits to the host countries, including economic, tourism, reputational and other benefits. It is, of course, important to ensure that my department's processes for engaging with external parties on the hosting of major events are fully transparent. My officials and I are also mindful of the need for efficiency, effectiveness and full accountability with regard to public funding and other resources. While I would be happy to provide full information in relation to the engagements with the European Tour, I am also mindful of the importance of protecting both (a) my department's negotiating position and (b) the integrity of the process of the engagement with the European Tour. Consequently, I do not propose to publish the notes of the engagements with the European Tour at this time but would be happy to do so after the process has concluded.