Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if the phase one development building programme announced for the National Sports Campus has been postponed, cancelled or otherwise changed in view of the more than one third cut in its capital budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41241/08]

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the broad breakdown of the purpose of the €2.4 million allocated to the National Sport Campus in budget 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41230/08]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the amount of money that has been spent on the National Sports Campus at Abbotstown since the scheme's inception; if this figure included the cost associated with the planned stadium and land purchases; if this represents value for money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41120/08]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the project or projects to be funded from the €4.4 million in capital allocation to the National Sports Campus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41228/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 101: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the current or expected position in regard to Campus Stadium Ireland; if the project or parts thereof have been shelved, amended or dropped; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41215/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 78, 89, 92, 95 and 101 together.

Following the opening of the National Aquatic Centre in 2003 and a subsequent Government decision in January 2004 to proceed with a phased delivery of the National Sports Campus at Abbotstown lands, capital expenditure of €1.05 million was made in the preparation of the development control plan for the campus and €7.3 million on the refurbishment of the former State laboratories as the new headquarters for the FAI. By the end of 2008 an amount of €2.6 million in capital funding will have been made on project management and design fees in progressing the phase 1 facilities of the sports campus. Expenditure on the campus prior to 2004, and chiefly involving the capital cost of the National Aquatic Centre opened in 2003, was €81 million of which €62.5 million excluding VAT is attributable directly to the capital development of the centre. I am satisfied that each of these expenditures represents good value for money.

The allocation for the National Sports Campus Development Authority for 2009 provided for in the 2009 Estimates stands at €4.4 million of which some €2.4 million is a current allocation for the administration and running costs of the authority, with the remaining €2 million being a capital allocation. It is intended that the capital allocation for 2009 will be used to meet the costs of refurbishing the former meat control laboratory on the Abbotstown site as a new headquarters for the Irish Institute of Sport, work on which is due to commence in December with an anticipated completion date in mid-2009.

I am reviewing with the NSCDA how we might best advance the campus project from 2009 notwithstanding the current difficult economic circumstances.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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What questions are currently being dealt with?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Question Nos. 78, 89, 92, 95 and 101. There are four from Deputy Mitchell and one from Deputy Upton.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The major investment of phase 1 of the development of the sports campus was announced three times by the Minister and his predecessor. As recently as July the Minister visited the sports campus and said he looked forward to the development being ready to train our athletes for the 2012 Olympics. Can the Minister clarify if this investment is going ahead and will it be ready to train athletes for the 2012 Olympics?

This is a 500 acre site and precious little has happened to it for some time. How much is this costing the taxpayer? The campus is lying idle with nothing more there than the offices of the FAI, which is wonderful for the FAI but I cannot see how the fortune of sport is significantly increased by giving it offices.

The Minister mentioned the state-of-the-art swimming pool and I submitted a question on this. Is the swimming pool paying its way? The Minister might clarify that; last year it required a subsidy of €2 million ——

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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That is a separate question.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Minister can confine himself to the questions I have asked. How much does the entire holding cost to maintain, supervise and insure annually? Is the phase 1 investment even going ahead, much less phase 2? The stadium seems to have gone into netherland.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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After seeing 82,000 people in Croke Park last Saturday I would love to see Abbotstown built given the difference of 30,000.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Order in the answering of questions please.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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There is €2 million in the capital budget. Can the Minister tell me what that will be spent on? Is it for more offices?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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There are design teams involved and we want to keep it going. I told Deputies Mitchell and Upton previously that the old meat laboratory will be fully finished by mid-2009 for the institute of sport; that is important and I was with them to see it happen. The Abbotstown lands have been in State ownership for years, long before I came into this House. They are State-owned lands, and incur the normal costs for maintenance as other State-owned land. I do not have a specific figure.

I listed what was involved in the cost of phase 1 of Abbotstown, which was approximately €150 million. I wanted to include a velodrome in it which increased the cost to €160 million. A velodrome is an essential element in Irish sport and Deputy Mitchell may share my view. In the UK they have shown how far they have advanced in sport and the number of medals they have won since building velodromes. It is unlikely the full building of that phase can be achieved in the current economic climate. It is a reality I have to face. As late as last July I thought it might proceed but we all know what has happened here and worldwide since, which has made things immeasurably difficult.

If I cannot do the entire project I still want to move forward aspects of the project that will be valuable, such as the national indoor training arena which benefits at least 25 sports. We can still proceed with elements of the project without impacting negatively on the overall project and I am trying to see how we can best proceed with that. I am currently in discussion with campus authorities.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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The Green Party would be delighted with the velodrome as it would encourage cycling. The Minister mentioned the national indoor training centre and that is welcome. Will the sports science and medical facilities be included in the project? Is there a list of priorities? The Minister may have mentioned them but will they be ordered or sequenced?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am discussing that with the board in Abbotstown at the moment. One or two items cannot be picked out, they must be coherent, cohesive and complementary. The medical facilities are important. The indoor training facilities are the core of this as they benefit many sports. The hockey facilities would also have a huge impact and fit naturally with a phased development. The possibility of the Irish men's and ladies' hockey teams doing very well at the 2012 Olympics is real and if we had all the indoor training and medical facilities they need in Ireland in Abbotstown we could make a substantial impact.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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What will be in the sports institute facilities to be completed next year?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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All the State Laboratories were there and we are refurbishing a dedicated building for the staff of the institute of sport. I do not have the brief here but the Deputy can table a parliamentary question and I will get the details.