Dáil debates
Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate
Sports Facilities
10:10 pm
Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein)
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Shelbourne Park greyhound track is in the heart of the inner city, not too far from here, between the Ringsend and South Lotts communities. Both these communities, along with communities right across the island of Ireland, have a deep sense of connection with the Shelbourne Park greyhound stadium. The cohesion and engagement between the stadium and the local community have been eroding in recent years. While Shelbourne Park is best known now for greyhound racing, it is less known that it was probably one of the first multisport facilities in the State. Along with greyhound racing, it has hosted Shels football club as its home ground. It was twice the venue for FAI Cup finals. In the seventies speedway racing was staged there. It was a multisport facility. There was a variety of entertainment at Shelbourne Park for the whole community.
In recent decades, however, this has slipped away. This brilliant stadium, situated in the heart of the city, has failed to reach its potential. Racing only takes place there three nights a week. What is happening in Shelbourne Park can be contrasted with what has happened in the greyhound stadium in Galway. That stadium is now the home of Connacht Rugby. It is a vibrant facility that provides a mix of sporting interests. It is clear that multisport facilities are highly cost-effective, providing a great return on capital investment and a big return for the local community.
Work is soon to begin on the redevelopment of Shelbourne Park. There has not really been an effort to fully utilise this facility's potential. It has huge potential. It could host a number of different sports but that commitment has to be made, supported and resourced by Government. With this development, there is talk of the stand being upgraded to a seven-day conference and meeting facility. I believe this is a missed opportunity. Community benefit should be an integral part of any redevelopment plans. Shelbourne Park has great potential to be a recreational asset to the people of all of Dublin. We must ensure this site is protected and utilised to its full potential for the community. There is growing concern in the local community that it could be lost completely.
As the Minister of State knows, that site has a split ownership. The stand is owned by the greyhound community and the track is owned by a private entity. The track is under a 99-year lease from that private entity. There have been attempts by the owners of the track to have the land rezoned for housing, which clearly shows the mindset of those owning the land. That is a huge concern for the local community. It shows that there is an intent to redevelop that site for housing or offices. With the housing development at the Irish Glass Bottle site, Ringsend, South Lotts and Pearse Street cannot afford to lost this sports facility. It is important we protect it.
Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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On behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, I thank Deputy Andrews for raising this issue.
Rásaíocht Con Éireann, RCÉ, is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
According to the 2021 Jim Power report, The Economic and Financial Significance of the Irish Greyhound Industry, commissioned by RCÉ, the greyhound industry provides and supports considerable employment both directly and indirectly across the economy. It is estimated that in 2019, the industry supported over 4,000 full-time and part-time jobs in the economy. In addition, there are over 6,000 active greyhound owners. The total number of people deriving economic benefit from the sector is estimated at over 10,000.
On 22 December 2022, RCÉ submitted a business plan for the redevelopment of Shelbourne Park, seeking the approval of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for the capital investment. In the proposal document, RCÉ states that Shelbourne Park greyhound stadium is the flagship stadium within the RCÉ portfolio. Located in Dublin city centre, it is the premier stadium and the only greyhound stadium in the Dublin area serving the large Dublin population with significant footfall from outside of Dublin. Major events are hosted at Shelbourne Park greyhound stadium, including the main greyhound competition, the Irish Greyhound Derby, which has been run in Shelbourne Park since 1932.
The stadium is directly competing with other very modern facilities in Dublin, such as Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium, and the offering currently at Shelbourne Park does not meet the expectation of the modern customer. There is no doubt that some essential improvement works in track and basic facilities are required. There is also a necessity to refresh and improve a number of areas of Shelbourne Park both to keep pace with current trends and to deliver the experience that is required. Departmental officials are currently considering the proposal.
An early draft strategic plan for the next five years from 2023 to 2027 was forwarded to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine for information in early November. Following the recent appointment of the new CEO on 6 November, this Department anticipates that the draft strategic plan will be progressed to completion in the coming months.
Title to Shelbourne Park greyhound stadium is a combination of unregistered freehold and long leasehold title, held by Shelbourne Greyhound Stadium Limited. The part held under the leasehold title comprises the racing track and a car park and is held under a lease for a term of 99 years, expiring on 24 March 2052, with an option to apply for a sporting lease in 2037 for a further 99 years.
The management of Shelbourne Park and any future use is a matter for RCÉ, in line with its legislative and strategic responsibilities. The zoning of lands and land use in a strategic planning context are matters for the relevant local authority.
I will certainly bring the Deputy's concerns to the Minister. There is a challenge here in that RCÉ is a company in its own right. I am not sure what input could be required or could at this stage be put into the draft strategic plan to help shape that. Calling RCÉ to appear before the committee for further discussions might be a useful suggestion as the next step forward.
Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. This greyhound stadium has massive potential. There is massive growth in housing in the area. The community needs every piece of sporting infrastructure it can get. It would be shame if an opportunity was missed. As I said, it has been done in the dog track in Galway with Connacht Rugby. Maybe Sport Ireland could intervene. There must be some avenue by which Shelbourne Park greyhound track can reach its full potential because it is currently only operating three nights a week. Office facilities and hospitality suites are not really what are needed. We need sports facilities. Liffey Wanderers is a very successful local football club. Why not ensure that its team can play in the middle of the greyhound track? As I said, there is a shortage of facilities. Nearly 10,000 new people will be moving into the Irish Glass Bottle site, a stone's throw from that facility.
There is a huge opportunity here and it would be a missed if we allowed Shelbourne Park to be sold, redeveloped or dismantled piece by piece.
As I said, the greyhound track is great for people right across the island of Ireland. This is not a criticism of the sport of greyhound racing, but we need to go beyond just greyhound racing to maximise the potential of Shelbourne Park greyhound track to ensure that a number of sports are played in that facility.
10:20 pm
Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I agree with the Deputy. It is essential to try to broaden the use of such a facility. It is important to explore the idea of multi-use on a site like that. I am not privy to the workings of the RCÉ, but I suggest it might be worth asking them to come before the agriculture committee to have a further conversation.
Second, I will bring the Deputy's concerns in relation to this back to the Minister for agriculture. The Deputy is correct; sport is changing and the nature of greyhound racing is changing. People's attendance at these events is changing. It is important to future-proof such a facility if public money is going into it so it can be used by the wider community. As the Deputy said, there will be a much bigger population there when the glass bottle site is developed. It is important to look to the future and see what other potential uses could be there and included in the redevelopment.