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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 25 Apr 2006

Vol. 618 No. 1

Other Questions.

National Aquatic Centre.

Joan Burton

Ceist:

64 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if his attention has been drawn to the recent survey carried out by the insurers of the National Aquatic Centre, that states that the centre has seeping roofs, corroding fixtures and possible water leaks; if he will request that Campus Stadium Ireland Development obtain an independent engineers’ report on the building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15138/06]

I assume the Deputy is referring to a report prepared for CSID, the landlords of the National Aquatic Centre. My Department has been in touch with CSID and has been advised that the facts in the report do not support the conclusions the Deputy has drawn from them. I understand from CSID that it is standard practice for a property survey to be carried out each year by the insurer prior to the renewal of the insurance on the National Aquatic Centre. The issues raised in the report relate to the day-to-day operation of the National Aquatic Centre and consequently are matters for Dublin Waterworld Ltd., the operator of the centre.

I am also assured that the National Aquatic Centre is fully and properly insured.

In view of the publicity that has accrued since the report of the insurer was leaked, does the Minister not agree there should be an independent inquiry to put all these matters to rest? Some of the issues raised were serious. In view of the fact that the roof blew off the building as well as the allegation concerning the enormous water loss in the operation of the aquatic centre, these matters should be cleared up, once and for all. The public is entitled to know, by way of an independent report, the exact position on the aquatic centre. Different versions of the story are being put into the public domain and the Minister has received assurances as well. Will he agree that it would be in everybody's interest to have the whole situation independently examined and reported on, not least the development and running of the aquatic centre?

Various questions have been asked during the past year and prior to that about the National Aquatic Centre. I have answered questions on this subject on numerous occasions. I attach no blame to Deputy O'Shea in that respect. He is entitled to ask any question he wishes. However, I wish to make clear that the National Aquatic Centre is a world class facility which is being enjoyed by tens of thousands of people every year.

The spectre of defects at the centre has been raised on numerous occasions but these allegations which appeared in the media last year about leaks and cracks have all been dealt with. If one takes into account the facts of the report, which was prepared meticulously by experts, it definitively discounted the negative material. For example, a team consisting of Rohcon, the contractor for the centre, and its expert, and CSID and its experts, investigated all these allegations last summer, having had to go to the High Court to gain access to the centre. Public statements of the findings of these experts were made at that time. I will not waste the valuable time of this House by reiterating all those findings. Damage to the roof was incurred due to an unfortunate event that occurred on 1 January 2005. The roof has been fixed and the centre, which was re-opened on 20 May last year, has been operating successfully since then.

This is a world class centre without any question or doubt. It has hosted the Special Olympics and the European short course championships. It is something about which the nation should be proud instead of one about which people should have doubts. I want once again to dispel those doubts.

I understand a snag list was drawn up before and after the centre was opened and that this process has not yet been completed. With reference to structural defects, I understand that the overview which took place was just that, rather than a detailed structural report. The only detailed structural engineering report that was carried out on the roof was after 20 m2 of it was blown away on New Year's Day in 2005. I support Deputy O'Shea's call for a report. On numerous occasions I called for an international engineering consultancy firm to be employed for this purpose, or even for Kavanagh Mansfield structural engineers, which has already completed a report on a small section of the roof, to carry out a definitive report so that we can ascertain once and for all if there are defects and, if that is the case, that they can be fixed. That would help the integrity of the centre and ensure its future.

Will the Minister indicate if full payment has been withheld from the contractor at this stage, and if all moneys that were due to Campus Stadium Ireland by Dublin Waterworld have been paid following the outcome of the High Court case?

It is my understanding that the case is, or may be, subject to appeal. Therefore, I must be very careful about what I say in regard to it. To the best of my knowledge, to date, funds have not been received in respect of VAT from Dublin Waterworld. With regard to the report to which the Deputies refer, there have been many reports on this centre and I assume that Deputy Burton's question relates to a property survey report which was carried out by AIG for CSID dated 20 February 2006. That report was copied to Dublin Waterworld Limited.

With regard to the alleged defects specified in this question, there is no reference in the report to seeping roofs and the reference to corrosion is made in regard to elements of the centre that are the responsibility of Dublin Waterworld and are, therefore, part of the maintenance contract and, accordingly, are the responsibility of the operators, namely, Dublin Waterworld Limited. The insurance on the National Aquatic Centre is up to date. The premium falls due in March each year and CSID is obliged under the lease to ask its insurance broker to seek tenders for the renewal.

The time for that question has now elapsed. We will now proceed to Question No. 65 in the name of Deputy Eamon Ryan.

Is it not in my name?

No, it is in the name of Deputy Eamon Ryan.

The question was nominated by Deputy Gogarty.

Tourism Industry.

Eamon Ryan

Ceist:

65 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on the latest figures for overseas travel for January 2006. [15173/06]

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

92 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on the most recent statistics released by the Central Statistics Office regarding the number of tourists visiting here; his further views on the fact that visitor numbers to Ireland from the United States and Canada fell during the final quarter of 2005 in comparison with the previous year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15136/06]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 and 92 together.

The recent publication by the Central Statistics Office of data for tourism and travel in 2005 presented a healthy overall picture for tourism in Ireland. This was evident in both an increased number of overseas visitors, up 6% to almost 7 million, and a significant rise in revenue, up almost 8% to €3.455 billion, excluding carrier receipts. On both counts, we exceeded targets set for 2005.

As global competition intensifies and consumer preferences evolve, these results represent a very robust performance by the sector and confirm just how dynamic and responsive is the Irish tourism sector. Looking at performance by market, the most striking feature last year was the position for mainland Europe where visitor numbers to Ireland were up almost 20%, to 1.9 million, with revenue up 32%, to €1.23 billion. This brings mainland Europe almost on a par with Britain in revenue terms and confirms that we are very much on target in regard to the tourism priority in An Agreed Programme for Government which seeks to broaden our source markets, especially in continental Europe.

From a strategic perspective, mainland Europe represents a very important source market, particularly in terms of regional spread and take up of tourism activities. Increased access from key European markets, especially to the regions, has been a major contributor to this growth and the challenge this year will be to build on this level of success. After a challenging period of intense competition in the British market, Ireland's overall performance in 2005 represents steady progress with growth of 3.8% in overall numbers and revenue showing a marginal increase of 0.3%. There remains a variety of challenges for the industry in Britain, particularly in growing the holiday component of the market. However, it is also true that the burgeoning VFR, visiting friends and relatives, market from Britain has always been and will remain of immense strategic importance to Ireland.

The CSO figures also bear out earlier forecasts in regard to the US and Canada which have proven more difficult to grow at the exceptional rates seen in previous years. Recognising the importance of the North American market to the Irish tourism industry, Tourism Ireland has already initiated an extensive review of its business activities there. The findings from this review will allow it to adjust its marketing programmes locally to help the sector achieve improved results for this year and beyond. I understand that the review is expected to be completed by September.

One fact worth noting about the trend in the North American market is that performance had been exceptionally strong in 2004 and the slippage in 2005 has come from a very high base. So, while there was a slight decrease in the number of visitors from the USA and Canada in 2005, the level was still up by over 5% on 2003. I am confident, therefore, that the underlying trend remains positive and that the review by Tourism Ireland will help to ensure that the outlook remains positive.

The latest data published by the CSO for 2006 cover the month of January. These show a continuation of the positive trend in terms of visitor numbers to Ireland with an 8% increase over the same month last year. While this return is certainly encouraging, the data only cover one off-peak month and it would be unwise to read too much into them. Nevertheless, I see no reason 2006 cannot be another successful year for Irish tourism and that we can achieve our targets of a 5% growth in visitor numbers with an associated increase of 6.7% in revenue earnings.

I accept that the trend is positive in spite of the increasingly competitive global market. I wish to raise some questions about the short and long term in this regard. While the British market has increased overall since 2002 following the previous year's foot and mouth disease crisis, I suggest the decline in relative terms vis-à-vis other European destinations, for example, and the resurgent North American market is directly related to walking holidays. In that context, does the Minister support calls by the IFA for some form of payment for guaranteeing access to land, or at least maintaining marked ways, and will he liaise with the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in this regard?

The issue of peak oil, which the Greens have been talking about for years, is eventually getting the media attention it deserves. In five or ten years' time it could well be the case that medium and long haul flights, including cheap flights from Europe to Ireland, will be a thing of the past and it will be increasingly difficult to market Ireland as a cheap affordable destination when fuel and oil prices make it very difficult to get here.

In this context should we not be making as much strategic preparation as possible to target the British market in the long term and to encourage British, French, German and Dutch people to come to Ireland? These countries are near enough to Ireland. The price of flights will inevitably rise and jobs in the tourism industry will be affected unless we have a strategy in place now to deal with something which is not that far away. Has this issue been discussed at Cabinet?

I am fully supportive of the promotion of the country for walking and activity holidays in general. In that context, the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, established Comhairle na Tuaithe which is charged with seeking to resolve difficulties in regard to access to land for hill walkers and therefore comes within the remit of that Minister. I am fully supportive of his efforts in this respect.

As part of An Agreed Programme for Government, the Government has been making a major effort to promote the country in mainland Europe. On becoming Minister I endeavoured to concentrate much of the resources and efforts in building up the European market and I am very pleased it is working out. An increase of 20% in visitors from mainland Europe last year was quite a stupendous performance when one considers that revenue from mainland European visitors is now almost on a par with that from British visitors to Ireland. This shows we have made tremendous progress.

As a result of a dip in visitors from Britain in the year before last, we immediately brought forward a strategy to adopt an aggressive approach to the British market following the most intensive ever survey of that market. This strategy has yielded results. Statistics for last year show an increase of 3.8% over the previous year which is very significant as the number of visitors coming to Ireland from Britain is extremely high at 4.75 million per annum. In general terms there has been a major effort to try to bring in more people from nearer destinations and I am confident this will be welcomed by everybody. We will continue our efforts in the North American market as it remains extremely important.

With regard to the increases in the price of fuel, we do not have any great influence over what happens. The tourism agencies are conscious of this factor and are seeking to make Ireland as attractive as possible.

There has been a decrease in the numbers of visitors from the USA and Canada in the last quarter of 2005 compared with the same quarter in the previous year and this is of concern. I agree the escalating cost of fuel is in many ways beyond national control. Aer Lingus is introducing a surcharge on long haul flights beginning on 15 May 2006. Are any devices available to the Government to subsidise the long haul carrier, the national carrier and other carriers operating on the route? It must be a concern that as the price of oil increases, it could have a significant effect on the numbers travelling to Ireland from long haul areas such as the United States and Canada. Is this issue being examined and are any realistic avenues available to allow the Government assist in keeping down the cost of travel?

I refer to the ferries which bring motorists from Britain to Ireland. It is correct to state that visitor numbers from the UK are increasing but will the Minister agree that to a large extent these visitors are coming to Dublin and staying there? The current pattern is for more short-stay visits. The British motoring tourist has always been very important in areas such as the south-east region and in the Minister's region.

The Deputy should ask a question.

When Irish visitors go to France they can bring back quite a quantity of duty-free wine. Is there any way this can be matched in order to entice tourists into this country? Could concessions on goods be made available on ferries?

Deputy Deenihan may ask a brief supplementary question as only one minute remains for the Minister to answer.

I am sure the Minister will agree that while visitor numbers have increased, the number of overnights has decreased with the average decreasing from 7.9 to seven per visitor. In view of the significant decline in the number of golfers coming from the USA which has been experienced in places such as Ballybunion and Waterville in our county, what initiatives are being taken by the Minister to reverse that trend? Golfers are high-spending tourists. What plans has the Minister to use the publicity and hype surrounding the Ryder Cup to entice American tourists to come back to Ireland to play golf on our courses? Has the Minister undertaken an analysis of the market to determine whether it is a matter of price?

The Minister has half a minute remaining.

I ask the Chair to give him a few minutes to answer.

A full regional tourism marketing campaign is being conducted in all the major markets and this will help the regions during 2006. A considerable number of golfers, approximately 138,000, are coming to Ireland specifically for those kinds of holidays. Tour operators last year voted Ireland the number one golf destination in the world.

There has been a big reduction in numbers.

With regard to the Ryder Cup, the Fáilte Ireland budget has recently been increased by €4.5 million to enable it to become involved in an aggressive marketing campaign which will use the Ryder Cup to promote Ireland as a golfing experience.

Jimmy Deenihan

Ceist:

66 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when he expects the recommendations of the PricewaterhouseCoopers report on the future restructuring of the regional tourism authority will be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14737/06]

David Stanton

Ceist:

84 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the timescale for the full implementation of the PricewaterhouseCoopers report on the regional tourism authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15159/06]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 84 together.

As I previously advised the House in response to a similar question on 1 March, individual actions and measures relating to tourism promotion or development at regional level are day-to-day functions of the State tourism agencies.

As the Deputies are aware, Fáilte Ireland commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers just over a year ago to conduct a major study of regional tourism structures. The report was published last year and is available on the Fáilte Ireland website. This work was supplemented by a short engagement, facilitated by a small independent group chaired by Mr. John Travers, with the relevant parties in order to satisfy interests in the Dublin region that the mechanisms of consultation were complete.

The PWC report highlights the need for a much wider brief for regional tourism, with more emphasis on its strategic rather than administrative role and contributing more directly to national policy. It recommends a greatly increased emphasis on targeted marketing, product development and enterprise support. It suggests establishing an integrated linkage between regional tourism strategy and national policy and exploiting avenues in order to leverage increased resources.

At the end of July last, I authorised Fáilte Ireland to proceed with the proposed revision of regional tourism structures on the basis of the PWC and Travers reports. To assist this process, Fáilte Ireland set up an implementation group under the chairmanship of Mr. Finbarr Flood. The group has completed an extensive process of engagement with the existing regional tourism authorities, industry representative groups and other relevant parties, to smooth the process of implementation. I understand the group recently presented its report to Fáilte Ireland and that Fáilte Ireland is now acting on its contents.

I also understand that Fáilte Ireland has begun the process of gearing up its own internal structures to line up with the proposed new structures at regional level. A new senior management position of director of regional development has been created and applications to fill the post have been invited in the national press. A due diligence process with each of the RTAs is almost complete.

Fáilte Ireland has advised me that it expects the changes will be implemented in the regions by the end of the summer.

If changes are implemented in the middle of the tourism season, could they be disruptive? Is the Minister aware of the existing uncertainty among the RTAs as to their future role and the fact that they will no longer be managing the tourist information offices? Is he also addressing the problems, for example, in the Cork-Kerry tourism area? There are difficulties in that area, as the Minister will be aware, and that certainly is affecting morale in the area among the workers and the elements of the industry.

Will the Minister answer specifically whether the recommendations will be put in place this summer? Does he envisage any role in future for the RTAs in the local information offices? If the RTAs have no budget, what precisely can they do about product development or whatever? It would seem that in the future the RTAs will really be ineffective. It strikes me that they will be merely talking shops or a forum for the industry, but really ineffective.

The opposite is the intention. In fact, the new proposals envisage a wider brief for regional tourism authorities playing a strategic rather than administrative role and providing input into national policy. There will be a greatly increased emphasis by the regional tourism authorities on targeted marketing, product development and inter-price support, and this is precisely what has been recommended in the PWC report.

I expect the implementation to be completed by the end of the summer. As a consequence of the changes, I expect that the regional tourism authorities will have a far greater role to play on a local level and on a broader more strategic level than was previously the case. As I stated, the report highlighted that the regional tourism authorities were handicapped by virtue of the fact that they did not have as much power as they should have had in targeted marketing, product development and enterprise support, and it is intended through these changes to change all that.

It is not the intention to take power from the regions and vest it in the centre. The object of the exercise is quite the opposite — to devolve powers to the regions. Funding will follow the powers. That is the clear intention. I am confident the regional tourism authorities, with their increased powers, will be in a position to grow tourism in the regions to a greater extent than was ever the case previously.

Referring to powers, this is a typical example of centralisation rather than decentralisation. Recently the Minister promoted the idea of three super regions for marketing and he spent the last tranche of funds through the super regions. How compatible are those three super regions with the existing RTAs? Surely there is a contradiction. Will he persist with his three super regions in the future for marketing, for example, and how will that fit in then with the roles of the seven RTAs in the country?

The super regions initiative, which was launched by Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland in February, is the latest and, incidentally, possibly the most significant innovation from an overseas marketing perspective in presenting a better, more tangible concept of Ireland's regions to potential consumers abroad. The initiative, which is additional to Tourism Ireland's destination marketing campaigns and Fáilte Ireland's regional allocations and activities, is based on new strategic marketing alliances between adjoining tourism regions, positioning them to exploit international market opportunities more fully so that for marketing purposes, the initiative combines existing RTA regions in the three super regions — Ireland South, Ireland West and Ireland East. The idea is to present Ireland's regions more coherently to overseas consumers. It is not about creating any new structures at a regional level and will not impact on the restructuring of the regional tourism authorities.

We found that there was a substantial increase in the number of visitors coming into the major urban centres, for example. For instance, in 2005 the visitor numbers in Dublin increased by 11% and the outer regions did not do as well, with the numbers in some increasing marginally, in some increasing by a little more, in some remaining stagnant and in even one or two showing a slight decline.

We now seek to market the super regions by emphasising not just the urban attractions but also the rural attractions contiguous to them. By moving in this direction, we will benefit the rural regions as well as seeing continued growth in the urban areas.

The Minister spoke of the super regions. What is the point of marketing a super region such as the west if it is not possible to access that super region? I refer in particular to the fact that we have an airport, Ireland West Airport, at Knock which is underdeveloped owing to a lack of funding. Although the Minister, Deputy O'Donoghue, is not Minister for Transport, he has a collective Cabinet responsibility. How can he promote the area when there is no proper access, in other words, when 29 million people visit the east coast and the south whereas only 500,000 people visit the west coast and six million people visit the north of Ireland? That reveals a regional imbalance. There is the national spatial strategy. There is a national development plan which shows a gross underspend on transport, in particular, and on infrastructure right across the board. How can the Minister rationalise a situation where he is flogging a dead horse by trying to promote a region to which there is no proper access?

Everybody will be well aware by now of Transport 21 which contains exciting initiatives intended to improve access throughout the country, not least in the case of the western corridor. It is a measure that Deputy Cowley, in particular, would welcome.

Access needs to be improved and that is why the plans are in place. Never in the history of the State has more funding been invested in infrastructure. Never in the history of the State has more funding been invested in access. Those plans will be put in place over the next few years and we will see substantial progress.

While all that takes place, our immediate objective is to improve the number of visitors to the regions and that is why we have made a substantial investment through our marketing programme in helping the regions, by twinning them and by ensuring that we market the super regions to best effect. All these efforts are meant to ensure that there is a greater degree of regionalism and that the spread of tourists is more proportionate.

Will the Minister give Knock airport the investment it needs to develop?

I must proceed to the next question.

National Institute of Sport.

David Stanton

Ceist:

67 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has received the report on the provision of a national institute of sport from the Irish Sports Council; when it will be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15158/06]

I refer the Deputy to the reply given earlier in response to Priority Question No. 59.

National Stadium.

Jack Wall

Ceist:

68 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the timetable for the construction of the new national stadium at Lansdowne Road; if the timescale for the redevelopment has been jeopardised by Dublin City Council planning department’s request for further information regarding the proposed new stadium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15169/06]

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Ceist:

87 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position in relation to the dispute between Wanderers Rugby Football Club and the Irish Rugby Football Union regarding the proposed demolition of Wanderers’ clubhouse to facilitate the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road; if this dispute threatens to delay the construction of the new stadium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15141/06]

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

88 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has held discussions with the Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company regarding objections from local residents to the height of the new stadium; his views on whether these objections may result in a delay in the construction of the new stadium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15140/06]

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

91 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the timescale for the commencement of the new stadium at Lansdowne Road in view of the recent questions raised by Dublin City Council planning section on issues relating to the design of the stadium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15160/06]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 87, 88 and 91 together.

As the House will be aware, in January 2004 the Government agreed to provide funding of €191 million to the joint IRFU-FAI project for the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road stadium. In January 2006 the planning application for the project was submitted by the Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company, LRSDC, the company charged with delivery of the project.

Deputies will be aware that it is normal practice within any planning process, but certainly for a major project, that the planning authorities would come back to the planning applicant with questions that have been raised in the course of the process by those who have lodged comments or objections or relating to matters that the authorities themselves wish to explore. This form of dialogue is a means by which the most satisfactory solutions can be devised for any issues that arise. Thus, the questions put by the Dublin City Council to Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company are a predictable part of the planning process and do not signal any particular difficulty for the project. LRSDC is preparing a fully comprehensive response to the Dublin City Council's request for further information. Officials from my Department have been briefed by LRSDC in the context of the project steering group and I have been assured that every effort is being made to address all the issues raised to the fullest extent, including those raised by the local residents.

A number of local residents' groups and individual residents have lodged objections to the project. Through the steering group that oversees the development of the project, I am aware the project developers have made very strenuous efforts to meet the concerns of residents in the design that has been chosen for the stadium. By maintaining good channels of communications and by carrying out the requisite studies and investigations, LRSDC is making every effort to ensure the concerns of residents are met in developing the stadium at Lansdowne Road.

It is not possible to estimate the time that will be required to complete the planning process. Up to the present, the project has proceeded on schedule and I am hopeful the planning process will not set back that schedule. I am confident that by the end of 2009 the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road stadium, which will cater for the international rugby and soccer requirements of the IRFU and the FAI, will be completed.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

Regarding the dispute between the IRFU and Wanderers Rugby Football Club, this is a matter between the IRFU and the two clubs in question and I do not intend to intervene in this matter. It is clear that, ultimately, the issues must be resolved by the parties directly involved. Discussions between these parties are still ongoing and I am confident a solution will be found and the dispute will not delay the redevelopment of the stadium.

The Minister's comments on the planning process are absolutely correct but a number of the objections are strong, including, for instance, those relating to the height of the stadium. Its height is proposed to be 38.5 metres compared with Croke Park, which is 35 metres high. Are there concerns that a number of the issues will not be resolved through the dialogue he mentioned? Is it possible the local authority may have difficulty proceeding with planning permission? If issues cannot be resolved through dialogue but planning permission is granted, An Bord Pleanála will have to become involved. The House does not have a role in what the GAA may decide in future about the use of Croke Park but the current arrangement will cease at the end of 2009. How serious are the objections? Has the Minister received indications that issues will be difficult to resolve?

Given that the estimate for the completion of the stadium is dependent on the project commencing in 2007, will the Government be prepared to review its financial commitment to the stadium in the event of a protracted planning process? If the project is delayed for 12 months, what increase in costs is envisaged?

Clearly, it is difficult to know what the planning authority will say about the objections that have been raised. On 12 January 2006 the planning application for the proposed new stadium was lodged with Dublin City Council by the development company and the closing date for the lodgment of objections was Wednesday, 15 February 2006. A total of 151 submissions were received, of which 20 were from rugby and soccer clubs that generally supported the project, while the remaining 130 were objections or semi-neutral observations with a large concentration made by residents or residents' associations. The objections were along predictable lines and issues included the stadium size, sun and daylight, crowd behaviour and so on. The development company is preparing material in response to the city council's request for further information.

If the stadium does not proceed, the probability is that the Lansdowne Road site would be developed for commercial purposes and office blocks, shopping centres, houses and apartments and so on built. A magnificent stadium, which has been praised by a number of the State's leading environmentalists, would not be more intrusive than a concrete jungle.

What about costs?

The Government's commitment is €191 million and there are no plans to increase it.

Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.

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