Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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11. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the proposed bid for the Rugby World Cup. [27316/14]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister give an update on the proposed bid for the Rugby World Cup in 2023?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Last November the Government considered a memorandum on the discussions and examinations to date on a potential bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2023.  While the memorandum identified a number of challenges, the great potential of the event is also clear and I believe that hosting the Rugby World Cup on a cross-Border basis in 2023 would be a great opportunity for Northern Ireland and Ireland.  In response to the memorandum, the Government expressed strong support for the proposal and for the conduct of further work to get to the stage of making a formal decision to bid.   

To progress the matter further the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, and I met with Minister Arlene Foster and Minister Carál Ní Chuilín, who are the Ministers, respectively, responsible for tourism and sport in the Northern Ireland Executive, in Armagh on 22 January. We established a working group to examine some key issues further and to report back to Ministers in the summer.

The working group, on which the IRFU and relevant Departments from both jurisdictions are represented, has held a number of meetings to date and indeed is meeting again tomorrow.  I look forward to receiving its report later in the summer.   

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State has been doing a good deal of work on this exciting project and it is progressing very well from what we have heard. He said in his reply that he expects to receive a report in the summer. Does that mean we can expect to see it in July or is it more likely to be in August or September? Do we know what that report will look like? Will it be one that will say "Yes, we are going for the bid" or "No, we are not going for the bid" or can we assume that we are going for the bid and that this report will be something of a roadmap as to how we get there? Do we know what the next stages will be if that is the conclusion of the report? What will then happen to the committee that has been established?

As the committee will have the knowledge about this, will it make the formal bid or will it be made by another body?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for his questions. I know that he has a great personal interest in this matter. We would all love to see this happening. As the Deputy said, the committee will meet tomorrow, following which we will probably receive a further update on when its report will be available. As the Deputy is aware, a joint bid is being made by the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government. When the report is received, it will be considered by both Governments and a decision made on whether to submit a formal bid. I thank the committee for the great work it is doing and I am sure it will produce a substantial report for us.

As announced by the International Rugby Board, the tender process for Rugby World Cup 2023 will be launched in 2016, including detailed timelines, hosting criteria, delivery structures and so on. We now have a timeline for the holding of the Rugby World Cup. This will be followed by the criteria to be met in hosting the event, following which a decision will be made on whether to submit a formal bid. The outcome of the bidding process will be known in 2017. There will be strong competition from countries such as South Africa and so on, but this is a great opportunity for Ireland. We have hosted many major events. One of the greatest things that could ever happen to the country would be for it to be successful in its bid to host this event. However, we must await receipt of the committee's report. Both Governments are supportive of the proposal, but they must await details of the criteria, the costs involved and so.

I hope the committee will have a further role to play following completion of its report because, as the Deputy rightly said, it will have the expertise in this regard. I hope it will continue to have a role and that we will be in a position to make a formal bid.

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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We are well placed to make a bid. It is good to know that the International Rugby Board will publish the criteria in 2016 because we will have already completed the work and know if we are ready to make a bid. Has there been any discussion yet of funding or is it too early for it?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It is too early yet for a discussion of funding. We must await receipt of the report, following which a decision will be made on whether to make a formal bid. If we do make a bid, the big issue will be from where the funding will come.

The Deputy is correct that much of the ground work has been done. The big decision was taken last year by the GAA at its congress in terms of its facilities being made available for the event. That was the most important decision. We have the required infrastructure, North and South. Major redevelopment of facilities is under way in Northern Ireland and the stadium in Cork is to be redeveloped. Croke Park would also be available to us. I hope we will have an opportunity to host this event. As the Deputy said, the committee has set out the roadmap for what needs to be done. We need to make a decision on whether to make a formal bid. I hope we will make it and that we will be successful. Ireland would be an ideal country in which to hold the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The country as a whole would buy into it. It would be a great occasion for the country and show to the world that we were able to host major international events.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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As Deputy Jerry Buttimer is not in the House to take Question No. 12, we will move to Question No. 13 in the name of Deputy Sandra McLellan.