I thank the Ceann Comhairle for affording me the opportunity to raise this important issue, namely, the implications for next year's Special Olympics of the decision taken by Fingal County Council on Monday last to close the gates of Morton Stadium on 31 December 2002 should outstanding issues not be resolved with the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation. Under an agreement entered into, the financing of the operations at Morton Stadium will be borne by the four local authorities in the greater Dublin area and the sports section of the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation. To date, the Department has reneged on its obligations as part of that agreement and its current liability stood at £277,525 at the end of last year.
Athletes will be well aware that the then Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Deputy McDaid, announced, in a glare of publicity prior to local and European elections in 1999, that the Government intended to provide a national indoor athletic centre at Santry. For its part, Fingal County Council agreed to provide the site free of charge – a significant contribution. At the request of the Minister, Fingal County Council commissioned a feasibility study on the provision of this indoor facility. The result of this was examined and approved by the Department and the Irish Sports Council. In July 2000, the Minister announced a capital grant of £4.8 million toward the cost of the project. To date, the Department has failed to pay €1.44 million to Fingal County Council in respect of expenditure and commitments to date on the planning, design and tendering stages of the proposed national indoor athletic centre.
Should the Government decide not to proceed with this project, that is between it and the people. What is another broken promise anyway? However, the rate payers of Fingal should not have to carry this burden. If this outstanding funding had been paid to the council over the years, it is highly likely that up to eight community sports projects in my constituency, which have been put on hold through lack of funding, would have been grant-aided and up and running.
The 11th Special Olympics will be held in Ireland next year. Ireland will be the first country to host the Special Olympics outside the USA. It is estimated that the Special Olympics will attract up to 7,000 athletes, 3,000 coaches and official delegates and thousands of family members and friends of participants from 166 countries. This is a prestigious event and it is important that everything is put in place to give a céad míle fáilte to the athletes and to ensure a successful outcome. The athletics element of the games will commence in Santry on 24 June 2003.
It is proposed to upgrade existing facilities and ancillary services to successfully host the event in Santry, at an estimated cost in excess of €500,000. As a result of departmental indifference, it seems that Fingal County Council will be asked to carry this additional cost, which means that over €2 million will be owed to the council. The council has decided that it will be unable to carry such a burden. Morton Stadium in Santry is a national stadium and should be financed primarily by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, although the local authority is also willing to play its part. Notwithstanding these difficulties, Fingal County Council is looking forward to playing its part in hosting a successful games, alongside thousands of volunteers and host families throughout the country.
I implore the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism and the Taoiseach to acknowledge their responsibilities and to meet their financial obligations to the council. In this regard, I suggest that an early meeting be organised between both parties. I look forward to a fruitful outcome to such a meeting so that the aims of the Special Olympics, as outlined in the games' mission statement, can be met. The mission is to "provide in Ireland a unique and unparalleled sporting and cultural experience for the athletes taking part, from 160 international delegations all over the world, as well as for their coaches, families, volunteers and sponsors, combining the excitement of sport with the opportunity for personal distinction, achievement and pride". I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, to ensure that no obstacles are placed in the way of achieving this objective. We must work together to ensure that next year's games are a fantastic and successful experience and the Government must do its part by fulfilling its financial obligations.