John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 16 and 75 together.

Following a decision in principle taken by the Government in 2004, Deputies will recall that Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited, CSID, undertook an indepth preparatory process and drew up proposals for the development of the sports campus in a series of phases. Phase I of the development control plan proposed the development of pitches and ancillary accommodation catering mainly for rugby, soccer and Gaelic games, the sports which engage the greatest number of people in Ireland. In addition, an indoor sports centre is planned to cater for a range of indoor sports with spectator accommodation, and publicly accessible all-weather floodlit synthetic pitches are also included.

The Government had an initial discussion on the proposal early last autumn and requested that further analysis be carried out by the Office of Public Works in connection with the delivery of the project. I reported to my Cabinet colleagues on the outcome of this additional work in November 2005. The Government gave its assent to the project and funds for the delivery of the project have been provided in my Department's capital envelope for 2006-10.

CSID, the company charged with developing the campus project, has taken the planning and preparation of the project forward since that date and has laid down a challenging schedule for the coming years to put in place this welcome and much needed programme of sports facilities which will enable Irish sports men and women to benefit from state-of-the-art facilities here in Ireland, as is only appropriate. The estimated cost of the project is €119 million. A sum of €9.5 million has been provided in my Department's budget for 2006 and funding has been agreed for the period 2007-10.

CSID is now proceeding to implement the Government decision. In addition to providing the sports facilities I have just listed, discussions have commenced, with the approval of the Government, on providing a site for a hospice on land adjacent to Connolly Hospital and talks are already under way with the FAI about the location of a new headquarters for the organisation in the former State Laboratory building at Abbotstown.

As regards the opportunities which will be opened up by the London Olympics in 2012, I am very conscious of the need to have top class sports facilities in place in time to provide good training opportunities for Irish athletes, and at the same time promote Ireland as a location for foreign teams wishing to avail of training for these games. Clearly, the timely development of a sports campus at Abbotstown, together with the other major facilities already in place, will be a key element to Ireland's capacity to provide state-of-the-art training facilities which would attract competing athletes to locate here.

To give added impetus to the drive to capitalise on the opportunities of the London Olympics and to ensure a joined up approach which would take account of sporting, tourism, commercial and economic considerations, I intend to establish an inter-agency group to co-ordinate and support the work of the agencies already working in this area.

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