I move:
That Dáil Éireann supports the Government's decision to proceed with planning for the development of Sports Campus Ireland and Stadium Ireland, having noted the contents of the PricewaterhouseCoopers feasibility study A Stadium for the New Millennium.
The recent announcement by the Taoiseach of the Government's decision to proceed with the building of a national stadium as part of a campus of sporting excellence – to be known as Sports Campus Ireland – represents a major milestone for sport in Ireland. The centrepiece of the campus will be an 80,000 seater national stadium capable of accommodating all field sports.
The Government is determined that our country will have a world class facility providing the highest quality of services, right up to the best international levels for a wide variety of sports. I want the House to know that the decision to proceed with this project was taken neither lightly nor, as has been suggested in some media circles, at the whim of any Member of the Government. The Government, in coming to its decision, had the benefit of recommendations made to it by an expert steering group established specifically to consider how such a stadium might be provided.
The steering group which comprised experienced business, sporting and public service figures was assisted in its deliberations by an independent feasibility study carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers, a world renowned company which, in turn, had the expertise of a range of other consultants available to it in the preparation of the study.
I would like Members to note specifically that, in the preparation of their report, the consultants carried out an extensive consultative process involving the IRFU, the GAA, the FAI, the Athletics Association of Ireland, formerly BLE, and the NACA; stadium management companies of similar facilities in the UK, France, Germany, Portugal, Australia and the US; 28 of the non-stadium based national governing bodies of sport; the main concert promoters and exhibition management companies in Ireland and the UK; the management of alternative entertainment and exhibition facilities in Ireland and the UK and the top 100 companies in Ireland. The IRFU, GAA, FAI and the athletics association were also represented on the steering group. This was by far the most extensive consultative process and the most in-depth analytical study ever carried out in Ireland in relation to a sports project and the outcome of these deliberations provides a sound foundation on which to proceed.
The construction of the campus and stadium will involve capital expenditure of £281 million. Included in the overall investment is a gift of £50 million provided by the businessman, Mr. J. P. McManus. In relation to this very generous contribution, arrangements are being made to have a copy of the legal agreement between the State and Mr. McManus placed in the Oireachtas Library. Of the Exchequer expenditure of £231 million, £135 million will be invested in Stadium Ireland with the balance being used to build the surrounding campus and to provide first class infrastructure, including an indoor arena capable of holding up to 15,000 people.
It is proposed that the facility will be located at Abbotstown in West Dublin which emerged, in the opinion of the consultants, as the most appropriate location for the proposed campus and stadium. The site is ideally located and an excellent infrastructure is already in place. Close to Dublin airport, it has significant frontage on to the M50 motorway. Once the M50 is completed, it will link all the main arterial routes to and from Dublin and the airport. The site of 495 acres is in State ownership and it is estimated that 220 acres will be required for the total complex, including parking. The total estimated building programme is scheduled to be completed in 2005.
Ireland's unprecedented economic performance provides a unique opportunity to address, once and for all, what has long been perceived as the single largest gap in our national sport and recreational infrastructure, namely the absence of a major venue to accommodate all international field sport events. Sporting excellence is a potent symbol both nationally and internationally, and is, increasingly, an important engine for economic and social development. A national stadium of the quality envisaged provides a new and improved opportunity for the best of Irish sport to pit themselves against all comers in an amphitheatre which will allow all to perform to the best of their ability before 80,000 enthusiastic supporters drawn from one of the most sports-mad countries in the world. Of equal importance will be the economic spin-offs which will accrue to Ireland both in terms of its enhanced attractiveness as a location for major international sporting events and its projection as a modern, vibrant, energetic and welcoming nation.
At present, the facilities in which we host our international sporting events, which are broadcast worldwide, are poor in comparison with those of our European neighbours and neither reflect nor project Ireland's desired image of excellence. In spite of being a nation of sports enthusiasts and in spite of much discussion over the years about the need for such a landmark facility, Ireland still does not have a stadium which is capable of hosting all its field sports. Now, for the first time in the history of the State, we are fortunate enough to have the wherewithal to consider building a state-of-the-art stadium comparable with the best in the world and capable of accommodating a wide range of sporting and spectator events for the whole island of Ireland. The stadium will possess sufficient amenities, together with the surrounding infrastructure, to satisfy the ever increasing requirements from the public and the media in this new age of popular sport.
The concept is rooted in the belief that strategic infrastructural investment made today will realise significant benefits for future generations. A great stadium will contribute much to national prestige and our sense of national pride and the existence of a world class stadium will provide the basis for building on our national love of sport and our ability to compete with the best in the world.
In recent years, a number of our nearest European neighbours have developed major stadiums, for example Stade Francais in Paris, the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and major re-developments and expansions at Murrayfield, Twickenham and, currently, Wembley Stadium.
While I do not deny that previous Governments may have paid attention to sporting matters in the past, it was very much "by the way" or as an adjunct to other policies and strategies. This position has changed radically under the present Government and with the appointment of a Minister with responsibility for sport with a seat at Cabinet the Irish sports sector took a giant step forward. In the 30 months or so since the Government took office, Irish sport has benefited from unprecedented and long sought developments such as the enactment of the Irish Sports Council Act, 1999, and the establishment of a new statutory council dedicated to the promotion of sport; the introduction of Ireland's first ever anti-doping in sport programme, making Ireland one of only about 30 countries worldwide with its own such programme; the launch of an international carding scheme specially designed to meet the needs of our high performing sportspersons; the beginning of the construction of Ireland's first ever 50 metre swimming pool in Limerick and an almost fourfold increase in provision for annual spending on the sports capital programme, including an increase from £3 million last year to £15 million for local authority swimming pools and grant allocations totalling up to £20 million for other sport and recreational facilities spread across the country. In the next three years, £45 million will be spent on swimming pool infrastructure alone.
Last year I was in the happy position to be able to allocate almost £14.5 million to about 400 community and voluntary groups towards the provision of local sport and recreational facilities in towns and villages throughout the country, another £3.5 million to national and regional facilities at seven locations throughout the country and more than £2 million to a range of county GAA grounds and FAI grounds. Since my appointment, grant allocations have been made in respect of some 800 projects throughout the country. The amount of financial support provided in the 1999 Estimates exceeded the combined allocations by the previous Government in the three years 1995-97. The overall provision in this year's Estimates for sport is up again to approximately £49 million. The comparable figure when I took office in 1997 was £13.5 million.
It has been suggested that the funding which will be required for the development of Sports Campus Ireland and Stadium Ireland will bring about a reduction in the funding which will be available for supporting projects throughout the country under the sport capital programme. The amendment put down by Deputy Allen makes this very point. I assure the House that this Government has embarked on an ambitious pro gramme of funding for the development of our sporting infrastructure through our sport capital programme and no funds will be diverted from the annual provision for this scheme into supporting the development of Sports Campus Ireland.
Never has so much grant assistance been approved for so many different sports facilities and in so many locations. The decision to facilitate the development of an 80,000 seat national stadium, capable of accommodating all field sports, is a logical progression in the Government's ambitions programme to develop and upgrade the nation's sport and recreational infrastructure. It is right that Irish sportspersons and athletes, who are benefiting from the improved facilities now available around the country, and from the other supports and services now being provided by the State, should have a world class stage in their own country, where they can compete and showcase their skills and prowess against their world class peers.
While Stadium Ireland will be the focal point of the proposed campus, the total campus will provide a much needed facility of international standard for a wide spectrum of sports and activities. The stadium will be designed in such a way as to enable it to be converted for athletics at minimal costs. It will include an indoor arena, capable of holding up to 15,000, for a wide range of different sports and entertainment events, as well as a series of multi-purpose sports halls for use by different sports. State of the art medical and sports science facilities will also be available on campus. A core value of Stadium Ireland is that it will be accessible to all sports on a basis of equity. The development company, which will be established shortly, will now proceed with the design and development of Sports Campus Ireland following consultations with the national governing bodies of sport.
Of course, not every Irish person is a sports participant, and certainly not of competition standard. However, there is no denying that we are a nation of sports enthusiasts with many of us committed fans and spectators of the various disciplines which will be accommodated at Stadium Ireland. Now, in addition to being able to accommodate much larger numbers at events featuring on the existing Irish sporting calendar, we can also look forward to seeing some of the very best in international sporting spectacles in comfort and safety and in the flesh.
As Minister with responsibility for tourism as well as sport, I am particularly pleased that the availability of this exciting new facility also has the potential to benefit our tourism industry. As the House is aware, a significant feature of our tourism marketing and promotion efforts in recent years has been our success in attracting a number of major international sporting events to Ireland. Events such as the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race and the Tour de France have attracted enormous international publicity, while the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2003 and the Ryder Cup in 2005 will help to keep that precious media attention firmly focused on Ireland. Without having the infrastructure in place, we would never have been able to proceed with the Ryder Cup. Indeed, in last December's budget, I secured £2.5 million for the setting up of a dedicated unit within Bord Fáilte with the specific task of exploring opportunities to promote Ireland as a venue for international sporting events and to develop strategies for attracting them here in the future. I have no doubt our future success in this regard will be boosted enormously by the availability of Stadium Ireland.