Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to make three points concerning the matters raised by the Deputy. First, I agree with him that this project is of importance not just to Cork city and county but also to the region. As he has identified, it does have an important national role in that, were our country to be successful in winning the bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, due to the agreement we have with the GAA, this would be an extremely important stadium for holding tournament matches.

Second, I want to convey my strong support for this project. I have outlined the different requirements that the Government had to meet in order to move this project forward. There was a requirement concerning the business case, and we also need to engage with the European Commission on this matter. This procedure takes place for large capital projects of any kind.

Third, the Deputy can be assured that my Department and I are giving this matter the fullest possible attention. We will continue to work actively with his colleagues in the Cork county board to ensure that this matter is dealt with speedily and to respond to the requirement of the European Commission for us to participate in the State aid process, which we will do.

As I said at the start, I fully acknowledge that this project is not only important to Cork city and county but also has broader benefits for our country. He can be assured of my support, as Minister, and that of the Government in dealing with this matter. We will keep the Deputy and other stakeholders informed.

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