Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 March 2012
10Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport his views of a potential bid by the Irish Rugby Football Union for the hosting of the 2023 Rugby World Cup; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16862/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra11Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport if he is willing to facilitate talks between the IRFU and the GAA with a view to examining the feasibility of Ireland hosting the 2023 Rugby World Cup; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16874/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra43Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport his views of a potential bid by the Irish Rugby Football Union for the hosting of the 2023 Rugby World Cup; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16905/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra55Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport his views on a potential bid by the Irish Rugby Football Union for the hosting of the 2023 Rugby World Cup; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16546/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra62Deputy John O’Mahony asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport his views on a potential bid by the Irish Rugby Football Union for the hosting of the 2023 Rugby World Cup; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16907/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 11, 43, 55, and 62 together.
The normal procedure for the hosting of international sporting events is that the Irish affiliate of the relevant international governing body would bid to host the event in question in Ireland. Accordingly, it would be a matter for the IRFU to decide if it wished to make a bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
If so, the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, and I will be pleased to engage with the union to explore the potential costs and benefits of hosting the event. In fact, we already have had some informal contacts about this issue and the IRFU will be meeting with us in the near future to discuss the possibility of hosting the event. A close examination of the economic feasibility and the potential return on investment would be crucial to any assessment of the bid to host the event and should take account of the experiences of recent hosts such as France and New Zealand.
The programme for Government includes a commitment that event tourism will be a priority to continue to bring major events to Ireland. The staging of major international sports events such as the Ryder Cup, the Tall Ships races, the Volvo Ocean race and the Solheim Cup, gave an opportunity to show that a country like Ireland can successfully host big events. Such events also provide a great showcase for Ireland and the media coverage helps to put Ireland onto travel itineraries as a holiday destination.
I thank the Minister for his reply. Irish international rugby is only getting stronger and domestically the game is coming on in leaps and bounds, particularly when one considers the school games. On Sunday recently, I attended the Leinster area junior schools' rugby final in which St. Michael's College beat Newbridge College. I offer my commiserations to Deputy Lawlor who is sitting beside me and who attended Newbridge College on behalf of myself and Deputy Boyd Barrett who also went to St. Michael's.
The Deputies certainly deviated in the political paths they chose after that.
Who paid Deputy Boyd Barrett's fees?
I know he would like to join me in congratulating St. Michael's on securing the double in winning both the senior and junior titles, a rare achievement. The idea the boys who played in Sunday's match and the senior cup final could perhaps tog out in the green jersey for a world cup on Irish soil is an inspiring idea. It is certainly a project we should be working hard on with the IRFU.
The Minister and I will meet with the IRFU shortly. It is a matter for the union to make the bid. Japan will host the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and must give a guarantee of €115 million. In 2023, that figure could well be €125 million. Also, television rights are held by the International Rugby Board. Saying that, Ireland would be well capable of holding the Rugby World Cup. If the IRFU bids for it, the Government and other agencies such as Fáilte Ireland would assist them in ensuring it would be a great event. I am confident we could host the event successfully. The IRFU recently stated it is examining hosting it and will look at the costs versus the economic benefits for France and New Zealand. If it decides then to put in a bid, we will discuss it with them.
I agree with Deputy Eoghan Murphy that rugby has taken off. He spoke about his school's team. I want to put on the record that while Westport is not a rugby town, its club won the Connacht under 18 final last year and I wish them success in next week's final.
That sounds like Westport should put in an application for the sports capital programme as it might find it would be putting it into a receptive Minister.
As Deputy Eoghan Murphy said, hosting the Rugby World Cup would be a fantastic opportunity. I am sure the Department of Finance would be the first to indicate the State's capacity to put in place the appropriate funding. While I accept these arguments, 2023 is a considerable time away. The tourism potential, as well as the sporting point of view, must also be considered. We should be able to give commitments to the various sporting organisations involved in ensuring they have the wherewithal to make it happen.
As I stated in my question, if it is necessary to involve the GAA, we should be prepared to do so. The GAA opened up considerably in the past by allowing the use of Croke Park by other sporting organisations. Of course, it will have to receive revenue for the use of the stadium. The revenues it received in the past were exceptionally well spent across the country. The GAA did not take it into central coffers but used it to develop centres of training excellence such as the one in County Clare.
I welcome the confirmation by the Minister of State that he is taking the matter seriously. It would benefit the State in many respects.
Deputy Dooley is correct that hosting the Rugby World Cup would be a great boost for the country and tourism. We have shown we are capable of holding major events.
I accept we may not have enough rugby stadia to cover the games. We would have to talk with the FAI and the GAA for using some of their facilities. Ravenhill rugby stadium is also being upgraded to 80,000 seats. The IRFU has stated a joint bid between Ireland and Wales or Ireland and Scotland could also be examined.
The programme for Government is committed to attracting major sporting events to the country. It will be a risk but life is not without risk. The economic benefit to the country would be very rewarding. If the IRFU makes the bid, it will get whatever support it needs from the Department.
I thank Deputy Eoghan Murphy for commiserating with me for my alma mater’s loss last Sunday. I congratulate St. Michael’s on winning the double. I do not know if Deputy Boyd Barrett knew the match was on at all considering-----
We were going well until now.
I remember in 1991 when Ireland co-hosted the Rugby World Cup, the best match of the tournament was Ireland against Australia at Lansdowne Road which is replayed time after time. Gordon Hamilton scored a try in the corner but Michael Lynagh scored a try in the last minute depriving us of an opportunity to play New Zealand in the semi-finals. That match created much interest in the game in the country.
There has also been good co-operation between the IRFU and the GAA, not alone at national level but also at local level. My club in Naas has hosted training sessions for Eadestown and Kill GAA clubs. This has been replicated at national level, particularly when the Aviva stadium was being constructed and Croke Park was made available to the IRFU. We have world-class stadia in Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium with upgrading developments at Thomond Park and the GAA grounds in Cork and Thurles. Hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2023 would give the country a welcome boost.
Everyone is positive about this proposal. The Government is supportive of it. We must sit down with the IRFU and the State agencies such as Fáilte Ireland to work on it. Hosting the rugby world cup in New Zealand was worth €500 million to its economy. This amount would be a great boost to our economy. The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, and I are prepared to meet the IRFU and Fáilte Ireland. We must bring every stakeholder on board. People have referred to shared facilities, as did Deputy Dooley. He was correct to do so. Everyone is open to helping the country and I do not doubt that every sporting organisation would play its part and make its facilities available if we drew a major international tournament to Ireland.
I welcome the Government's support for the idea that Ireland could host the world cup. In the Minister of State's informal discussions with the IRFU, has it indicated what type of bid it might make? He mentioned the suggestion of co-hosting with Wales or some of our nearest neighbours. From an Irish point of view, hosting it solely in Ireland would be the best option.
From his informal discussions with the GAA, does the Minister of State know whether it would be willing to make pitches other than Croke Park available? This suggestion would need to be approved at congress. The world cup would need to be held at a time when the GAA's championship season was not in operation, as the former could not be seen to interfere with the latter.
I have been involved in sports and the GAA for many years and I supported the opening up of Croke Park. I would support this suggestion in any of my roles. I welcome the Deputies' articulation of their support.
The IRFU's chief executive has been quoted in newspaper articles as saying that it would need to consider the issue and discuss it with the Government. We have held informal negotiations, but I cannot go into more detail on those.
My answer to the Deputy's question on the GAA is "No". First, the IRFU must decide whether it wants to make a bid. Second, it must discuss the matter with the Government to determine whether we would support such a bid. Third, we must discuss it with Fáilte Ireland to determine whether we can provide funding. The host country makes a large guarantee and puts up a lot of money.
As Deputies have stated, it is worth bidding for the world cup. Doing this would show us to be a mature nation with facilities. Irrespective of whether we make a single or joint application with Wales or Scotland, the idea is worth investigation. If the IRFU approaches the Minister and I we will discuss the idea with it. If the IRFU decides to make a bid, the State will need to give that bid its full support.
I am pleased to learn that the Government would support such an initiative. Rugby has been doing well in Ireland and Irish clubs have been progressing well through the Heineken Cup and world cup. Does the Minister of State agree that the world cup would be an opportunity to showcase our country as well as facilities such as Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium?
It would be a great opportunity for tourism, culture and business. Irish companies have gained between €250 million and €500 million through building stadia for the Olympics in Britain. The same would occur in Ireland, leading to employment and business for hotels, for example. The world cup would showcase our small country's facilities. If New Zealand can do it, I do not know why Ireland cannot.
