Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will take a couple and perhaps Deputy O'Donovan can take a couple as well.

A proposal was made for the second part of the funding of the indoor arena. It is quite a long saga. I will read out what I have. A proposal has been made. There is no agreement on the funding yet. Sport Ireland submitted a proposal to the Department on 12 June 2015 and again in January 2016 for the development of phase two. The proposal involves Sport Ireland part-funding the capital cost of the project from the proceeds of the sale of two areas of land at the national sports campus, estimated to achieve €8.5 million after capital gains tax, with the balance of capital funding to be provided by the Exchequer. This contribution is estimated in the region of €16 million. The total amount involved is €24 million. Sport Ireland proposes to secure a bank loan to pay the construction costs pending the sale of land and allocation of Exchequer funding. They are going to look for the State to fund the balance. We intend to look for the funding for that in the mid-term capital review.

The matter of MMA was raised. After the death of Mr. Joao Carvalho in 2016, the then Minister of State, Deputy Ring engaged with the MMA community to attempt to get them under an umbrella and maybe even to become a national governing body, NGB. They formed a group called the Irish Mixed Martial Arts Association, IMMMA, which is now talking to a Sport Ireland recognised body, the Irish Martial Arts Commission, IMAC, but bringing them under that umbrella has been slow.

The Department has brought in an expert on this area, Professor Jack Anderson, who is liaising with Sport Ireland.