John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity of discussing the very important matter of sports facilities. All of us here today have experienced an incredible sense of pride and achievement at Ireland's many international successes in various sporting activities. Visitors to this country often remark on the intense and widespread interest in sporting events at international, national and local level, not least in our Gaelic games. What a wonderful sense of occasion it was to witness Ireland's comprehensive win against Australia in the international rules series ten days ago in a packed Croke Park. In the past week there have been magnificent victories by the Connacht, Leinster and Munster rugby teams against teams from Wales, France and England.

When taking office in 1997, the Government recognised the importance of sport and appointed the first Minister with responsibility for sport to the Cabinet. The Government continues to believe in the value of sport and the contribution it can make to our society, for individuals and for communities. The past seven years have seen a dramatic increase in Government funding for Irish sport, from €17 million in 1997 to €113 million in 2004, with a total of over €610 million in Government spending on sport to support the development of a new sporting infrastructure and to support a range of sporting programmes.

The success of any nation in sporting contests can be traced back to the availability of top quality facilities supported by a range of programmes aimed at increasing participation and improving standards of performance. Last January, the Government agreed to provide €191 million towards the cost of a new stadium at Lansdowne Road — that decision gave life to the Lansdowne Road stadium project. Today I can say with confidence that the project is well under way and that the three partners involved have formally committed to the project with the signing of a formal legal agreement in September to bring the plans to conclusion. This agreement provides for the procurement and building of a stadium and the availability of this stadium as a sporting facility, which we expect will be completed by December 2008. A project director, who brings a wealth of experience with him, has been appointed by the IRFU and the FAI and he will oversee the project.

The development of the new Lansdowne Road stadium will involve a 50,000 all-seated stadium which will be built on the axis of the existing stadium. The estimated cost of this project is just under €300 million and approved Government support will provide €191 million over five years. The stadium will meet all the current international standards for rugby and soccer and the pitch area will be of sufficient size to accommodate Gaelic games. It is anticipated that the application for planning permission will be lodged late in 2005 and it is hoped to commence construction of the new stadium in the second half of 2006. Ireland's international rugby and soccer squads will have a platform on which they can showcase themselves and Ireland to the world and from which they can develop and build on the progress they have already achieved.

The commencement of the work at Lansdowne Road, together with the completion of Croke Park, will at last place Irish field sports on an acceptable footing regarding the standard of sports facilities that are available in other similarly developed economies. Together, these two admirable projects bring stadium facilities in Ireland into the 21st century.

When I announced a few weeks ago that the Government had agreed to provide a further and final grant of €40 million to the GAA over the next two years towards the cost of the redevelopment of Croke Park, this brought the total Exchequer contribution to €110 million towards the €265 million cost of the whole project. At the time of this announcement I paid tribute to the immense contribution to sport which has been made over the years by the organisation and the many men and women who have given of their time and effort to Gaelic games on a voluntary basis. The GAA is largely an amateur organisation and yet has been extremely professional in its approach in taking the lead to develop its sporting infrastructure at all levels, which I have been happy to support.

However, while it is a source of satisfaction to see the redevelopment of two great stadia in Dublin with such historical significance, much remains to be done to bring Ireland's national sporting infrastructure in line with our European neighbours. It was in this context that the Taoiseach articulated his vision for a campus of sporting excellence to be developed at a 500-acre site in Abbotstown, County Dublin. In January 2004 the Government reaffirmed its commitment to the development of a sports campus at Abbotstown. A phased and prioritised programme to deliver the component elements of the campus is being developed by Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited. The campus is capable of accommodating the requirements of sporting organisations for high quality pitches and training and administrative facilities for both amateur and ranking team sports. This should be of benefit not only to major sports organisations but also to some of our smaller sports whose need for modern facilities are important.

The campus will likely also include medical and training support for elite athlete development and, eventually, an indoor sporting arena. It is expected that elements of the development would attract private sector investment. The Department has been working with Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited to secure a developmental plan for a campus of sports facilities at Abbotstown. Proposals for the development of a sports campus at Abbotstown have now been received and I intend to consider them in consultation with my Government colleagues.

The first element of the Sports Campus Ireland project was the development of a National Aquatic Centre, which was completed at a cost of €71 million and opened in March 2003. The centre, which is one of the largest indoor water facilities in the world, encompasses a 50 m. swimming pool; a 25 m. warm up pool which is also a diving pool; a major leisure water area for family entertainment; and spectator facilities for national and international competitions. With over 1 million visitors in its first year and the location of many community programmes engaging primary schools, older adults and programmes for the disadvantaged, the National Aquatic Centre has already proven its worth as a valuable community and national recreational facility. However, it is important to note that it also provides state-of-the-art swimming training facilities for Ireland's elite swimmers and has also been used by the British Olympic diving team in training for the Olympic Games.

In December 2003 the European Short Course Swimming Championships were hosted in Dublin at the National Aquatic Centre where 19 European records were set, putting Dublin and Ireland on the map in terms of hosting international swimming competitions. This followed on from the impressive arena playing host to the largest sporting event of 2003, with the aquatics competitions of the memorable Special Olympics World Summer Games being held there. The first time ever located outside the USA, this competition was an international success made possible by an enormous volunteer effort and a united effort among community groups, sports bodies, private companies and the Government. My Department provided funding and helped towards the cost of improvements to some of the sports facilities used for athletics at Morton Stadium and soccer at the AUL facility in Clonshaugh. The games demonstrated that Ireland is a perfect venue for hosting major sports events. Other events such as the women's world hockey cup, the European men's hockey cup and the World Cross Country Championships have enhanced our reputation for hosting such events.

Since 2002, more than €1.2 million has been allocated to the ongoing development of the national hockey stadium at Belfield. This will ensure that we have a national hockey stadium that meets with the highest international standards in time to host the 2005 European Nations Cup. This will be a facility deserving of our national team, which won the four nations Celtic cup in June.

As the House knows, hosting an international sporting event brings many advantages. Not only is it a source of pride to us all but also to-our competitors who can enjoy the support of a home crowd when competing on the world stage. One need only witness Portugal's best performance in a major championships in Euro 2004 this year or South Korea's World Cup heroics before a home crowd in 2002. Hosting a major sporting event brings with it media exposure and coverage that cannot ordinarily be bought at any price. Such publicity is invaluable to a country such as Ireland, which depends so much on its tourism product. How many times have we seen the beauty of Ireland displayed the world over through coverage of prestigious golf tournaments held here with the assistance of Fáilte Ireland?

The year 2006 will see the biggest golf tournament of all, namely, the Ryder Cup which will be held at the K Club. It will be televised to approximately 700 million homes in no fewer than 42 countries with 47 stations broadcasting the event, including potential new tourism markets in Eastern Europe and China. In terms of its impact on visitor numbers alone, some 200,000 golf tourists generate revenue of nearly €200 million annually for Irish tourism. The exposure arising from the Ryder Cup match will enhance further Ireland's standing as a top quality golf destination.

The added benefit of hosting an international sporting event is the effect it can have in engaging ordinary people in the excitement and passion that sport brings out in us all. Witnessing our own teams and athletes competing at the highest level acts as a catalyst for promoting and encouraging people, especially the young, to participate in sport. This is especially true when we can see it first hand. One need only look at the recent successes of Munster and Ulster in the European rugby cup and the excitement generated around Leinster's home games in Donnybrook and Lansdowne Road, to understand why rugby is enjoying a surge among young people these days who want to play and emulate their heroes.

That is why the Government is committed to continuing with the important work started in 1997 by investing in the development of sports facilities to cater for our top class athletes and also for those inspired by them to take part in sport at whatever level they choose. The national lottery was established to provide funding for, among other things, the development of a sporting infrastructure throughout the country. The development of a quality infrastructure is crucial to the future of sport in Ireland. In this context, the national lottery funded sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, plays an important role. This programme is the primary vehicle for promoting the development of sports and recreational facilities in Ireland and provides funding in respect of local, regional and national projects.

Through the sports capital programme, we have significantly improved the quantity and quality of sporting facilities throughout the country in recent years. The programme has, since 1997, allocated funding of almost €331 million to more than 4,200 projects to provide badly needed facilities and equipment in virtually every parish, village, town and city. The value of sport and recreation to the nation cannot be over emphasised. It raises our health and fitness levels, provides a means of keeping young people away from crime and drugs, helps to give us a sense of pride in ourselves and enhances our lifestyles.

In keeping with Government policy, the allocations under the sports capital programme reflect special priority for the development of sports and recreational facilities in areas designated as disadvantaged, that is, RAPID, CLÁR and local drugs task force areas. In the four year period to 2004, 1,266 projects located in areas designated as disadvantaged have been allocated funding of more than €121 million under the programme.

In addition to meeting many of the requirements for sport at a local level, my Department's sports capital programme has also funded numerous world class regional and national sports facilities. These facilities are essential for increasing participation levels in sport, for improving standards of performance at national and international level, while also meeting local needs. These have included major projects such as Croke Park, the National Boxing Stadium in Dublin, the new 50 m. swimming pool at the University of Limerick, the new National Rowing Centre at Inniscarra, County Cork, Ireland's new golf academy in Maynooth and Tennis Ireland's new national centre at Glasnevin, Dublin. In considering applications under the programme each year, my Department engages in a process of consultation with the Irish Sports Council and the main governing bodies of sport in regard to the prioritisation of projects to be funded. In 2004, for example, special consideration was given to national hockey and cricket facilities here to host international tournaments in 2005.

Ireland's remarkable victories in cricket against Zimbabwe last year and against the West Indies this year has given a new vigour to cricket in Ireland. The year 2005 sees Ireland hosting the ICC Trophy with the first rounds of the 2005 trophy being played in Belfast and the playoffs, semi-finals and final in Dublin. The ICC Trophy gives the opportunity for the lesser nations to compete on the cricket world stage and also means that the top five finishers gain qualification for the next cricket world cup in the West Indies in 2007. In recognition of the importance of this tournament, 11 cricket clubs were allocated grants this year in connection with the hosting of the International Cricket Council Trophy in 2005, in addition to funding allocated in respect of cricket's national indoor centre located in Balbriggan. The purpose of these grants is to assist clubs in improving their facilities and bringing them to a standard suitable to host such a prestigious event.

The sports capital programme also grants funding to develop regional sports centres all over Ireland. Grants have been provided in recent years to such projects located in Athlone, Bray, Navan, Waterford and many other towns. Many of these facilities are also being part funded through my Department's local authority swimming pool programme, which has been in operation since 1999. Under this programme, grants of up to €3.8 million are made available towards either the refurbishment of existing pools or the provision of a new pool, subject in both cases to the total grant not exceeding 80% of the eligible cost of the project or 90% for projects located in designated disadvantaged areas. Since 2000, 55 swimming projects have been dealt with under the programme. A total of 14 swimming pool projects have been completed — the most recent in Finglas in Dublin, Grove Island in Limerick, Ballinasloe and Clounalour and these modern and well-equipped facilities are open to the public. Further swimming pool projects are under way in eight locations around the country in Clonmel, Tuam, Ballymun, Cobh, Drogheda, Ballyfermot and Youghal. A sum of €28 million has been spent on this programme between 2000 and 2003 with a further provision of €15 million in 2004.

Notwithstanding the substantial funding invested in the provision of sporting and recreational facilities in recent years, the Government, as stated in the programme for Government, is committed to building facilities locally and nationally. To assist in the identification of new facility requirements we will put in place a long-term strategic plan for sports facilities. The first step towards developing such a strategy is a review of the existing sports capital programme under the Department's expenditure review programme.

The impact of sport extends far beyond the playing pitches and athletic grounds. It has obvious benefits in promoting health and fitness, self-esteem and personal well being. Nowadays, it has a growing commercial and economic significance. Sporting achievements provide a morale boost for the country at large, focus international attention on our country and promote our image as an attractive place to visit and invest in. In this context, I want to ensure that ordinary people everywhere in this country have every opportunity to engage in the sport of their choice — from the young in body to the young in spirit.

Sport is something worthwhile which everybody can pursue — male and female, young and old, rich and poor. It has no age, gender or class barriers. I intend to ensure that the best climate is created to encourage people to participate in sport, that the best facilities are provided to enhance people's enjoyment of sport and to help create a sporting structure which helps to ensure maximum participation in sport. Sport is for all. I look forward to hearing the contributions of Members.