Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State has outlined a number of welcome developments. He is right in that plenty of submissions were made in advance of yesterday's deadline. I made one, as did my colleague, the directors and breeders, but we have been told, including via feedback to me from the board, that the decision has been taken not to advance with this move next year, albeit temporarily. Will the Minister of State confirm whether a decision has been taken or must we wait until tomorrow evening for it to be made? Local newspapers claim that the decision has been rescinded already, but how could it have been made in advance of the board meeting? That raises questions about the board's governance and structure. Perhaps the Minister of State will clarify. We want it stated explicitly that the decision is being rescinded.

The much-needed structural investment in the stadium is welcome, but we must ask why we have been waiting so long for it. The fire officer's decision on closure was made in November 2016. When Harold's Cross was sold in February 2017 for €23 million or €24 million, there was a promise that additional funding would be provided to stadia around the country. I named a number that have benefited from such funding, so why has Mullingar lost out for two years? Will the Minister of State engage with the board to ensure that the necessary works are accelerated so that there are no capacity issues and the track can meet its full potential?

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