Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy raised three points. First, the contract for the national sports campus was signed earlier in the year. I believe construction work will start in the next few weeks. My understanding is that the indoor arena will be open by the second half of 2016. It is a very large project overall, but what I am telling the Deputy is the time the indoor arena will be completed. When the arena is open, the facility will be able to host everything from indoor athletics to equestrian events. It will be an extraordinary facility and will operate alongside what is there already. We will see the FAI and the GAA begin a phased opening of their pitches in the first half of this year. The national pentathlon centre, which is unique in Europe in terms of what it can offer, is located there as well as the aquatic centre. With the opening of the pitches in 2015, the scale of the facility will become apparent. It will be an immensely beneficial development for sport in Ireland. I very much look forward to seeing it.

The Deputy asked whether there has been a decrease in the sports capital programme. Discussions are taking place at present on the level of funding for the sports capital programme that the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, will launch in the next few weeks.

In 2013 the overall capital funding for sport was €13.5 million, in 2014 the estimate is for €23 million and we are estimating that in 2015, it will be €25.5 million. I know Deputy Ellis asked about the sports capital programme itself. I will be able to answer that question soon, but it will be in the context of a further round of sports capital funding from the Government. We announced the first round in 2012, the first time the programme had been put in place since 2008, we then put in place the 2014 programme and I am looking forward to the announcement of the programme for this year. When that happens, it will be the third round of funding put in place since we came into office.

The Deputy's final comment was on the sponsorship of sporting events by drinks companies. The Minister of State with responsibility for sport, Deputy Ring, has been leading on this. If one considers it in conjunction with the Bill the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, has introduced, it will make beneficial changes in the supply and display of alcohol in the country. The current regulations will be put on a statutory footing, which I believe will be an important step forward.

May I make a further point to the Chairman? I am not sure if the committee or individual Deputies have visited the national sports campus recently.