Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

The Deputy's question relates to developments at the Sports Campus at Abbotstown in Blanchardstown in Dublin.

At its meeting on 21 June, the Government approved my proposals for the development of the National Sports Campus at Abbotstown in Blanchardstown on an incremental basis. In particular I have asked the National Sports Campus Development Authority, NSCDA, to proceed with the development of a national indoor training arena, which would include an indoor track. I am acutely aware of the difficulty of securing capital funding from the Exchequer because of the financial difficulties facing the Government. I have, therefore, asked the campus authority to explore other avenues of funding such as philanthropy and or the sale of some of the land. I have also asked the campus authority to continue to pursue the policy of developing elements of the development control plan in partnership with the GAA, FAI, IRFU and Irish Hockey Association. As provided for in section 7(8) of the National Sports Campus Development Authority Act 2006, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is arranging for the transfer of the land to the NSCDA.

Abbotstown House is a protected structure under the Fingal County development plan. I believe that Abbotstown House would benefit from having an anchor tenant and that the Irish Sports Council would be an ideal tenant in this regard. This matter is being examined by the NSCDA in consultation with the Irish Sports Council and the OPW.

In parallel with the core National Sports Campus project, the campus authority is also continuing its strategy of redeveloping and refurbishing existing buildings on the Abbotstown site for use by the wider sporting community, in particular the national governing bodies of sport. The OPW is assessing tenders for the refurbishment of the former Marine Institute Building as the sports HQ and it is expected that work on the project will commence in February and will be completed prior to the end of the calendar year.

I take this opportunity to inform the House that 2011 was a record-breaking year for the National Aquatic Centre, which forms part of the campus, with visitor numbers totalling 825,051 which is an increase of 12.5% on the previous year.

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