Mr. Adrian Neilan:

Compared with 2003, the site we bought in 2007 was completely different. It was properly serviced by the ESB, sewage and other necessary services. It also came with a road into it and the provision of a carpark at a fraction of normal cost. Due to the new road network being built around Limerick, the site could be easily connected to other counties. The report cited an expectation of €1.5 million for fill. The site was filled for €1 million. It was a completely different site. Planning was in our favour. Restrictive planning issues arose in 2003, but they did not exist when we went about building on the site in 2007. We had services and road access. Effectively, it provided everything for us.

We considered 11 other sites around Limerick. We considered every possibility. We engaged consultants, as members can see in the report, to get the best value possible. This was the best site for us. Please understand, the greyhound industry has been around for the past 50 years - we were formed in 1958 - and will be around for another 100 years. It is a vibrant industry. The stadium will stick around. Consider what is happening in Limerick now. It has the second highest level of Christmas bookings of all of our stadiums, second only to Shelbourne Park. Limerick will be fully booked out for Christmas. It is a fantastic site and will hold 20 benefit nights in the coming year. The people of Limerick have embraced it. When the site was built, a comment in one newspaper saluted Bord na gCon for adding another dimension to Limerick's stadiums.

Some 250 people were employed during the course of construction of this project. Is it making money?