Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 11: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position regarding the development of Sports Campus Ireland at Abbotstown, west Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19246/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has provided €149 million under the National Development Plan 2007 to 2013 for the development of a national sports campus at Abbotstown. The Government has already approved the development of facilities under phase one of a development control plan prepared by CSID, the predecessor of the National Sports Campus Development Authority, NSCDA. These facilities will be designed to meet the indoor and outdoor training needs of Irish elite sportspersons who compete at national and international levels, and will also provide for the needs of the local community. Preliminary planning for this phase has begun and the NSCDA has advertised a competition to appoint a design team and a project management team for the project.

The facilities to be provided in phase one of the project will include a national field sports training centre catering for rugby, soccer, Gaelic games and hockey; a national indoor training centre which will provide world class training facilities for over 20 national governing bodies of sport; accommodation for sports men and women; sports science and medical facilities; all-weather synthetic pitches for community use; and the renovation of existing buildings to provide administrative offices for sporting bodies.

The Government decision for this stage of development included agreement to move the headquarters of the Football Association of Ireland to the former State laboratory building at Abbotstown. Planning permission for a change of use for the State laboratory has been secured and work on the building is underway. It is expected the FAI will relocate there in the autumn. It is also intended to provide a headquarters for the Irish Institute of Sport by refurbishing an existing building on the site, and preliminary planning on this project has commenced.

A planning study for the Abbotstown site, which is a requirement under a local objective of the Fingal county development plan, has been completed by an inter-agency group which included the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism. This study sets out the mix of sporting, leisure and amenity facilities appropriate for the site. The planning study was considered by Fingal County Council at a meeting held on 12 March 2007 and a proposal was considered to change the zoning of a large portion of the site to open space to allow for sports use and for the woodland area of the site to be zoned for high amenity use. The statutory public consultation period for the proposal for rezoning is due for decision at the meeting of Fingal County Council on 9 July.

Under the National Sports Campus Development Authority Act 2006, the National Sports Campus Development Authority was established on a statutory basis in January to succeed in function and responsibility Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Company Ltd. In addition to overseeing the development of phase one of the campus, the new authority has been requested to identify the facilities that might be considered for the next phase of the development of the Abbotstown project. When completed, the Abbotstown facilities will provide a much needed range of training and competitive facilities for our finest sportspersons.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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I thank the Minister for his reply. Abbotstown is of major significance for our national athletes. How many sports organisations will have their headquarters in Abbotstown? I believe 30 organisations were to be facilitated, but I would like to know what has been done. The capacity of the stadium created many problems along the way. Is it still to be 50,000? Also, did the Minister indicate the organisation that will determine the second phase or will submissions be sought from the various groups interested in having a facility at Abbotstown?

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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As I said, the FAI is moving there in the autumn. That building is being renovated. The headquarters of the institute of sport are located there also. In due course discussions will be completed with other organisations to determine their intentions. I plan to visit the area in the next few weeks if possible to see the situation for myself and be satisfied as to future developments on the site. There are a number of options, as the Deputy is aware. The National Sports Campus Development Authority is to bring forward proposals for further phases of the campus. Possible options include a 25,000 seater capacity stadium, which was mentioned in the programme for Government, a velodrome and an indoor arena. I want to visit the location and be satisfied as to the route forward, but the NSCDA is to bring forward proposals to me for further phases of the campus and I will await them.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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The Minister mentioned the institute of sport. Can he indicate when he will bring forward the legislation to set up that institute? I understand legislation is required to establish the institute——

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy is wandering outside the remit of the question, to be fair.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Not really. The institute of sport is an integral part of this——

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Not this session anyway.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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——and apparently it is holding up progress on the institute.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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It is more a question for the Order of Business.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Many of the functions of the new campus the Minister outlined are being provided in the National Coaching and Training Centre in Limerick. It may be too early to ask this question but does the Minister believe that the National Coaching and Training Centre in Limerick, which is now referred to as Coaching Ireland, will have less of a role to play in the future because so many of its functions will be taken over by Sports Campus Ireland?

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The short answer to the last question is "No". I do not see any reason for the National Coaching and Training Centre to be interfered with in any way by possible developments at Abbotstown. Even on a regional basis one can see that there is good spread there. I do not see any need to worry from the point of view of Limerick, which has done a superb job and which has the Government's full confidence in what it is able to provide for us in the future.