Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

The National Development Plan 2007-2013, which was published in January 2007 contains the largest ever Government investment programme for the development of the arts and culture, tourism and sport sectors. The NDP includes an €800 million tourism development programme, a €904 million cultural sub-programme and a €991 million sport sub-programme.

These programmes contain a wide range of capital schemes and projects which will be progressively rolled out over the lifetime of the plan. The Department of Finance is preparing the first comprehensive report on NDP implementation in 2007 which, following consideration by the NDP central monitoring committee and the Government, will be published in due course.

As regards tourism, the international marketing sub-programme is on track, with €45 million expended in 2007 and a budget of €50 million provided this year. Construction work on the convention centre in Dublin commenced in 2007 and the massive steel works for the spectacular new building at Spencer Dock are well advanced. During 2007, the first of three funds under the tourism product development sub-programme was launched. At the end of 2007, some €8 million of tourism infrastructure works were reported by Failte Ireland as being completed. In addition, some €20 million of expenditure was provided under the training and human resources sub-programme.

On the sports side, construction of the new Lansdowne Road stadium is now well under way and it is planned that the 50,000 seater stadium will open during 2010. Following the recent appointment of project management and design teams, detailed work on the National Sports Campus at Abbotstown is proceeding. Applications for funding under the 2008 sports capital programme were invited in January last and more than 1,450 applications received are currently being assessed. The local authority swimming pool programme is also progressing with an investment of almost €28 million made in 2007.

In the arts and culture sector, a new National Concert Hall will be developed on the existing site at Earlsfort Terrace. It is planned to initiate the PPP procurement competition very shortly with a view to contracts being signed in 2009. The redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre at George's Dock is also progressing well with the appointment of a jury for the design competition and of technical and financial advisers. The Wexford Festival Opera House is on schedule for completion in 2008 while the Gaiety Theatre project has been successfully completed. Progress is being made on the extensions to all of the main national cultural institutions.

Finally, €7.3 million has been drawn down since 1 January 2007 to date by projects under the ACCESS programme, leaving a balance of €73.7 million during the course of the NDP. The Government is committed to implementing the NDP and I look forward to advancing the full range of projects envisaged during my tenure as Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism.

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