Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy that this would be a great opportunity for the country. With regard to the sports capital programme and the funding we provide each year to rugby in this country, we were delighted this year to be able to keep our funding to the Irish Sports Council intact. I was delighted that rugby got its fair share of the national cake.

Tomorrow meetings will take place in Belfast between those involved, North and South, and an announcement will be made on who will chair the committee. The chairman will be independent and I am pleased that he has accepted the position. Out of respect to our colleagues in Northern Ireland, we will have to wait until tomorrow to announce who the chairman is, but people will be pleased as he is a person of stature who will do an excellent job for the country.

A number of issues will have to be examined. The Deputy asked whether funding would be required to put the bid together. That is one of the issues that will have to be discussed; as well as how much funding will come from the North and how much will come from the South and how much money will be required to put a bid together. These are some of the issues the committee will examine.

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