In addition, I was present in 1999 when the then Minister, Deputy McDaid, came to Santry and announced an indoor athletics facility for Santry that would cost £4.8 million. He told Fingal County Council to go ahead and carry out a feasibility study for the indoor facility and other associated works. The work cost €1.4 million but none of that has been recouped, although the feasibility study was sanctioned and presented to the Department. However, since then, nothing has been agreed with the Department in terms of a payment schedule and whether the council should seek tenders. I ask if the Minister of State is serious about providing this indoor athletics track and if the money will be forthcoming. The council has already spent €1.4 million on a feasibility study and plans for the indoor facility and I ask if this can be recouped from the Department.

Morton Stadium will be one of the venues for the Special Olympics next year. The council must make preparations and €500,000 will be required to provide basic facilities. Fingal County Council is not prepared to spend that money unless the Department supports the venture. The manager of the county council presented a report last Monday. It was the first that any of us knew about these matters and that the Department has been reneging on its commitments. The manager's report was accepted by all the councillors. The report stated that Morton Stadium will be closed on 1 January if this issue is not sorted out.

I am very disappointed that we have reached this stage but I am confident that we will have the assistance of the Minister of State and of the Ahern family. Councillor Maurice Ahern was Lord Mayor of Dublin and he is also chairman of Clonliffe Harriers Athletics Club which uses Santry. The Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, represents the area. The Ahern family has a great responsibility for this area and we want something done without delay.

Morton Stadium is recognised as the national athletics stadium. All those individuals and organisations that have contributed to the development and running of the facility throughout the years are to be commended. I make special mention of the role of Fingal County Council and, in particular, Fingal county manager, Mr. Willie Soffe, for outstanding support and commitment to the stadium and its activities in recent years.

Considerable financial support has been provided by Government to upgrade and modernise the facilities in Morton Stadium and proposals are under discussion for even more extensive work to be carried out with further financial support. The current facilities at Morton Stadium which include a state of the art ultra-modern track and ancillary facilities, including a new spectator stand, changing facilities, gymnasia and a specially-designed indoor training facility and flood-lighting, have been provided over a period of years with Government grant aid in excess of £2 million.

Under the 2000 sports capital programme, Fingal County Council was requested by the then Minister for Sport and Recreation to prepare an application for an indoor athletic track. In January 2001, the county council opened a public tender process both for this development and the provision of a headquarters for the Athletics Association of Ireland. However, the outcome of the tendering process was that the effective cost of the project had almost doubled to €15.5 million from €9.56 million and the promised level of grants of €6 million was no longer adequate to make the project feasible.

A number of options for reducing the overall cost of the project were considered by Fingal County Council together with the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and its advisers, but it became clear that to scale back the costs would involve reducing the standard and quality of the project considerably. It would not have been appropriate to provide a facility that was second class and which would not meet European and world standards and, therefore, the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism is currently considering how the project can be progressed. I trust the Members of the House support that decision.

In addition, it was felt that the commencement of the project should be delayed until after the completion of the Special Olympics World Games in June of next year because of safety considerations and the possible risk to athletes if work was still on site when the games are in progress. I assure the Senator that the Minister, Deputy O'Donoghue, is committed to the provision of sports facilities at all levels throughout the country and to continue the excellent work done over the last five years or so in this regard. It may be of interest that funding for sport has increased from £13.25 million in 1997 to over €161.4 million this year. Since 1998, the Government has allocated €213.2 million to sports facilities at every level throughout the country. I mention these facts as an illustration of the degree of commitment to sport on the part of the Government and to give a context in which the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism is dealing with the issues raised by Senator Terry.

In relation to the matter of running costs at the stadium, the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism has already been in contact with Fingal County Council on the running costs of Morton Stadium. The Department and the county council will, through these discussions, reach an accommodation that will enable Fingal County Council to manage these costs. All involved are anxious to satisfactorily resolve these issues and, with that in view, an early meeting will be arranged between Department officials and Fingal County Council with a view to progressing these matters to the satisfaction of all concerned.