I propose to take Questions Nos. 252 to 254, inclusive, together.
Ireland has been chosen to host the Ryder Cup in 2027 at Adare Manor in County Limerick.
On 26 July 2019, after an extended period of consideration and negotiation, including an assessment of the costs and benefits, the Government approved:
(i) an offer to the European Tour for the event of up to €31 million which would cover:
(a) a licence fee of €22.5m not including VAT which is paid by the Irish Exchequer
(b) additional financial support of €8.5 million for the annual Irish Open golf tournament and other golf tour event supports; and
ii) in parallel, the provision of €8m, for marketing of the Ryder Cup in Ireland through and with the European Tour.
The above figures are exclusive of VAT which will be in the order of €5 million.
The Government also agreed in principle to an allocation of €19.365 million for the operational budget to support the staging of the tournament. These costs include transport, security, local authority costs, ceremonies and fanzones.
Hosting the Ryder Cup in 2006 was worth €143 million to the Irish economy and on the basis of an Economic Impact Assessment undertaken in 2019, the Department is confident that the 2027 event will be worth well in excess of that.
As the original economic impact analysis and costs of the tournament were prepared in 2019 it is considered timely that these should be reviewed at this mid-way point. This review has commenced and is expected to be completed in the coming months.
Limerick City and County Council and the Department are working closely with the National Transport Authority to plan the safe and effective transportation arrangements for the hosting of the tournament.