Eamonn Coghlan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the wonderful news from the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, and the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, with the announcement of the €100 million investment to promote tourism, transport and sport. This brings the Department's capital spend in 2015 to €1.7 billion. It will be used to support the public transport system, road maintenance and a speedier roll-out of all the necessary work on various projects. A sum of €60 million will go towards transport, €34 million will go towards remedial road works both at national and local level, €4.2 million will go into tourism, which has been a jewel in the crown in recent years with regard to what it has contributed to the economy, and €1 million will go towards road safety.I am especially pleased to note that in ten minutes the official sod-cutting ceremony will take place for the national indoor arena at Sports Campus Ireland in Abbotstown. I remember competing as a young man on the American indoor circuit when there was talk of a national indoor arena being built in 1979 in the docklands area of Dublin, but that did not happen. The allocation of €800,000 for the national campus is appropriate and it will accelerate the delivery of the project. That is an indication of the work the Government has been doing to return the public finances to order. We are building a better future and providing levels of investment to meet economic and social needs for people in this country. I welcome today’s announcement.