Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 35: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his proposals regarding the previously proposed national stadium at Abbotstown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34910/05]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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On 27 January 2004, the Government decided not to proceed with the development of a national stadium at Abbotstown and instead to provide funding of €191million to the joint IRFU-FAI project for the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road stadium. The Lansdowne stadium project has made very good progress and the company charged with delivery of the project, Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company, is finalising the planning application and has set a target of the end of 2005 to have work on this application completed. An innovative detailed design for the stadium has been provided by stadium designers HOK Sport with the assistance of Irish architects Scott Tallon Walker. The redeveloped Lansdowne Road stadium, with a crowd capacity of 50,000 all-seated, together with the redeveloped Croke Park, with a crowd capacity of 82,300, should be more than adequate for all the needs of major spectator sport in this country.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 36: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if the audit of facilities that is under way is to include both sports and arts facilities; if this work is being carried out by his Department or by outside consultants; when the audit will be finalised; the use which this body of work is intended to be put to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34868/05]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has given a commitment in the programme for Government to complete a national audit of local sports facilities. This work is being undertaken as part of the development of a long-term strategic plan for the provision of sports facilities. There is no proposal at present to carry out an audit of the arts facilities in the country.

An inter-agency steering group has been established to oversee the development of the sports facilities strategy, part of which will include overseeing the commencement of the proposed audit of sports facilities. Work has commenced on establishing a comprehensive record of national and regional sports facilities with a view to developing an overview on the adequacy of existing key strategic facilities. The Deputy will appreciate that this is one of the building blocks in the formation of an effective long-term strategy. While the Department is undertakingthis work internally with the assistance of the Central Statistics Office, there may be a need for external expertise at some future stage, particularly in addressing any of the information technology requirements.

The audit, when completed, will map the location of the various sports facilities throughout the country and will assist the Government in addressing any gaps that might still exist in Ireland's sporting infrastructure, particularly at regional and national level. While carrying out an effective and comprehensive national audit of local facilities is a major undertaking, it is hoped to have phase one of the audit completed during 2006, with work commencing thereafter on identifying need at local level.