Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 78, 89, 92, 95 and 101 together.

Following the opening of the National Aquatic Centre in 2003 and a subsequent Government decision in January 2004 to proceed with a phased delivery of the National Sports Campus at Abbotstown lands, capital expenditure of €1.05 million was made in the preparation of the development control plan for the campus and €7.3 million on the refurbishment of the former State laboratories as the new headquarters for the FAI. By the end of 2008 an amount of €2.6 million in capital funding will have been made on project management and design fees in progressing the phase 1 facilities of the sports campus. Expenditure on the campus prior to 2004, and chiefly involving the capital cost of the National Aquatic Centre opened in 2003, was €81 million of which €62.5 million excluding VAT is attributable directly to the capital development of the centre. I am satisfied that each of these expenditures represents good value for money.

The allocation for the National Sports Campus Development Authority for 2009 provided for in the 2009 Estimates stands at €4.4 million of which some €2.4 million is a current allocation for the administration and running costs of the authority, with the remaining €2 million being a capital allocation. It is intended that the capital allocation for 2009 will be used to meet the costs of refurbishing the former meat control laboratory on the Abbotstown site as a new headquarters for the Irish Institute of Sport, work on which is due to commence in December with an anticipated completion date in mid-2009.

I am reviewing with the NSCDA how we might best advance the campus project from 2009 notwithstanding the current difficult economic circumstances.

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