Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will make a submission to Fingal County Council regarding the lands at Abbotstown and the county council study to determine a suitable mix of sporting and appropriate commercial, leisure and amenity uses in order to create a vibrant and sustainable sports campus; and if he will investigate the possibility of opening up these lands for recreational use for the residents of the greater Blanchardstown area. [15403/06]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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In November 2005 the Government gave its assent to the commencement of phase one of development of the national sports campus at Abbotstown. The estimated cost of the project is €119 million with a four to five year delivery schedule, 2006-10.

To obtain guidance on the planning issues involved in such a major project, Campus and Stadium Ireland Development, CSID, met Fingal County Council and was advised that the lands in question were specifically mentioned in the county development plan. The precise text in the plan is:

To undertake a study to determine a suitable mix of sporting and appropriate commercial, leisure, and amenity uses in order to create a vibrant and sustainable sports campus. This study shall also investigate the possibility of opening up these lands for recreation use for the residents of the greater Blanchardstown area.

In the course of the discussions with Fingal County Council the idea of approaching the matter by means of an inter-agency study emerged. My Department requested the assistance of the Office of Public Works, as its technical adviser in project development matters, to bring its expertise to bear in the preparation of the study. As a consequence, a group chaired by the Office of Public Works and consisting of representatives of my Department, the Departments of Finance and Agriculture and Food, the OPW, CSID and Fingal Country Council has been established and has now commenced work on the study. CSID has already had ongoing general discussions with Fingal County Council on planning and zoning issues.

I expect that the study will require a period of months to be completed. In the meantime I do not wish to pre-empt its outcome by further comment. I look forward to receiving its recommendations in due course.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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I do not want the Minister to pre-empt the outcome of the study, but I would like him to elaborate on the development of the Abbotstown lands from the viewpoint of having them opened as a residential amenity for residents of the greater Blanchardstown and wider area. Does the Minister agree that greater Blanchardstown is growing at an unprecedented rate, with thousands of residential units being built in a very short space of time? There is enormous pressure for public open space and a great need for recreational facilities. Is he aware of an adjoining massive development, at Tyrellstown, of 2,000 homes, opened for the first time only four years ago, with not an acre of "Class 1" open space? Incredibly the county council let the developer off with a cash contribution and now land, as a result of the speculators' unbridled greed, cannot be bought for an enormous conglomeration such as that. Could this situation not be ameliorated if the lands at Abbotstown were opened as part of a plan for recreational facilities for the community in the greater Blanchardstown area? I would like to hear the Minister's views on this and those of his Department.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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I understand how Deputy Joe Higgins might be concerned about this issue, since he is a representative for the area. The need for an inter-agency study arose from the commitment in the Fingal county development plan to undertake such an exercise. The aim is that all the planning and development issues and options should be considered by a group comprising the relevant experts and representatives and I have outlined who they are. The involvement of the Departments of Finance and Agriculture and Food neatly brings together all of the agencies with responsibility for involvement in developing the site. Outside expertise will also be employed, where necessary. It really is best to await the outcome of this study before deciding precisely on how to move forward. Incidentally, in that context it is intended that the study should set out an agreed set of proposals, if possible, which would be put forward for consultation and agreement by Fingal local authority representatives. There is no question of the Minister or the Department superimposing their will on anybody. There will be full consultation after the set of proposals is prepared. That is a reasonable stance.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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I hope the Minister and his Department will consider the proposal positively. When I was first elected to Dublin County Council, as it was in 1991, there was a proposal for a regional park for greater Blanchardstown, comprising those lands. Unfortunately, the Department of Agriculture and Food blocked that at every hand's turn and the people of Blanchardstown did not get their regional park. There is a great need for both active and passive recreational space in the greater Blanchardstown area, for family groups, individuals and young people. I ask the Minister and his Department when participating in the discussions, to be proactive towards ensuring that those facilities can be made available for the residents of greater Blanchardstown.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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I assure the Deputy that the views of the local people, through their representatives, will be fully taken into account. Neither I nor the Department wish to superimpose our will. We will be proactive in seeking to accommodate where we can possibly do so. I am really pleased that the sports campus will get under way this year. That will please the people in the general locality as well. It is necessary and important that their views are taken into account and implemented where possible.