Willie O'Dea
Ceist:12 Mr. O'Dea asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the current position regarding a national conference centre; and the Government's decision regarding such a centre. [14076/95]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Convention Centre.
Eric J. Byrne
Ceist:17 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if he will outline the current situation regarding the proposed national conference centre in view of the need to improve seasonality in the tourism industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14014/95]
Tony Killeen
Ceist:128 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the current position on a national conference centre; and the Government's decision regarding this centre. [14129/95]
Tony Killeen
Ceist:153 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the schedule for the implementation of the national convention-conference centre. [14160/95]
David Andrews
Ceist:159 Mr. Andrews asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the schedule for the implementation of the national convention-conference centre. [14168/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 17, 128, 153 and 159 together.
I am pleased to inform the House that, in July last, I authorised the insertion of advertisements in the Official Journal of the European Union and the national daily press, seeking expressions of interest in developing, with EU assistance, a national convention centre on a stand alone basis or as part of a larger development. Bord Fáilte will be screening these expressions of interest and reporting to me by the end of October, at which stage I will inform the Government of progress and seek approval to move on to the next stage.
This stage will consist of an invitation to a limited number of respondents to submit a full design submission with comprehensive financial and operational plans based on a detailed brief. The target date at present for receipt of replies is March 1996.
The third stage will involve the final detailed evaluation, including the undertaking of a full cost-benefit analysis, ensuring full EU agreement in accordance with the terms of the tourism operational programme and culminating in approval by Government in June next year.
The final stage will be the beginning of work on site which we anticipate will commence in December 1996 with a targeted completion date of June 1999.
The provision of a national convention centre in Dublin is one of the flagship projects under the tourism operational programme and I am convinced that it will be an important national asset and will contribute significantly to the extension of the Irish tourist season.
How many responses has the Department received to the advertisements mentioned?
There were more than 50 initial expressions of interest. I am not sure whether these will be consolidated before the end of October.
That is most encouraging. Does the Minister have a strategy to ensure that whatever proposals are considered by the Government will be made public so that they will not run into the kind of difficulties some private proposals ran into in the Dublin area, in terms of planning permission? In other words, does he have any means of ensuring that information about the project will be made available to prevent complaints from scuppering the entire project at a late stage?
I have to inform Government of progress on each stage before proceeding further. A sum of £23 million is available under the tourism operational programme. All the conditions governing the granting of assistance for a project as large as this will have to be complied with. Full information will be made available as necessary.
Will the Government consider proposals which include the provision of a casino — I understand this would require legislative change — or will it confine itself to considering proposals which do not include the provision of a casino?
The advertisements which appeared in the Official Journal of the European Union and the national daily newspapers, which the Deputy may have seen, referred specifically to the development of a national convention centre either on a stand alone basis or as part of a larger complex which might include leisure facilities and hotels. Recently the Government gave the Minister for Finance permission to investigate the pros and cons of issuing a casino licence in respect of a project such as this. The Department of Finance is currently conducting this investigation which is independent of the advertisements relating to the national convention centre.
The Minister has stated on numerous occasions in this House that the Government is committed to the provision of a national conference centre in Dublin. Will an attractive proposal to provide such a centre in another part of the country be ruled out because of this or will the Government keep an open mind on the matter?
This is one of the four major flagship projects included in the tourism operational programme. A commitment was given in the Programme for Government that the national convention centre would be sited in Dublin. It is estimated that about £30 million in additional revenue is being lost each year because of our inability to attract major international conferences.