Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 July 2020
212. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding that has been loaned to an organisation (details supplied) through Sport Ireland; the interest rate on this loan; the securities on the loan; his plans to make further funds available for financing the organisation through Sport Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19625/20]
View answerThe Memorandum of Understanding signed on 30 January by the then Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross and the Chairperson of the organisation mentioned by the Deputy enables Sport Ireland to restore funding to the FAI of €2.9m per annum and to provide additional annual funding of €2.9m for football development up to 2023. Sport Ireland is awaiting confirmation of the implementation of the various necessary reforms by the organisation before putting an agreement in place with the organisation in relation to the payment of this funding.
In recognition of the importance of the continued operation of the Aviva Stadium, the MOU also provides for a repayable grant to the organisation of €7.6338 million towards the licence fee payable by the organisation for the Aviva Stadium up to 2022.
In April, a Memorandum of Agreement was entered into between Sport Ireland, the organisation, and New Stadium DAC – the company which operates the Aviva Stadium - for the disbursement of the organisation’s licence fee to New Stadium DAC. The Agreement outlines that a recoupable grant will be paid in instalments totalling €2,544,600 annually by Sport Ireland directly to New Stadium DAC on behalf of the FAI in each of the years 2020 to 2022. This grant will be recoupable from the FAI from 2024. As this is a repayable grant, no interest will apply.
In April, Sport Ireland transferred €1,270,300 direct to New Stadium DAC, under the terms of the Memorandum of Agreement, representing 50% of the available grant in 2020.
