Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 717: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the contact he has had with the London Olympics team to discuss the question of facilities being offered here; the action he will take in that regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2262/06]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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The selection of London last July as the host city for the 2012 games offers Ireland an unprecedented opportunity for businesses, tourism and sport. I have met David Hanson, Northern Ireland's Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, for discussions on a number of sports issues, including the opportunities relating to London hosting the 2012 summer Olympic games and paralympic games. The Minister and I agreed there were tremendous opportunities for both Northern Ireland and the Republic to benefit from the games. The existing close working relationships at Ddpartmental and Sports Council levels will provide a solid basis upon which to maximise the opportunities ahead. I have also discussed the situation with Richard Caborn, the British Minister for Sport, who has warmly welcomed the approach being undertaken on an all-island basis in Ireland.

I have been advised by the president of the Olympic Council of Ireland that a number of countries have inquired about the possibility of using Ireland as a base in the lead up to the London games. The attraction of Ireland to overseas teams participating in the games for acclimatisation and preparation purposes is an area on which the Irish Sports Council and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland could co-operate. The general assembly of the European Olympic committees held in Dublin last month was attended by leading figures from World and European Olympic organisations, including the oresident of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge. This major conference afforded a unique opportunity to draw the early attention of this highly influential group, including the successful London bid team who were also in attendance, to the many services Ireland can offer to Olympic squads from around the world.

Since 1997, the Government parties have invested in excess of €700 million in sport. Of this amount, approximately €500 million has been spent on the development of sporting facilities at a national, regional and local level. A significant proportion of this investment has gone towards developing a network of top quality facilities around the country designed to meet the training, coaching and competition needs of our elite competitors in a wide spectrum of sports. Among the major projects that have been supported are the Croke Park stadium, the national aquatic centre, the national rowing centre at Inniscarra, the national tennis centre, the national boxing stadium, the national hockey stadium at UCD and the national coaching and training centre at the University of Limerick, which complements the wide range of top quality facilities provided at the university, many of which have been used by International sportspersons. In addition, the early delivery of the sports campus at Abbotstown, will be a key element to Ireland's capacity to attract competing athletes to locate here.

With an estimated 1 million additional visitors to Athens for the 2004 Olympics, Ireland will be hoping to attract substantial additional visitors around the 2012 games with significant benefits for the tourism industry. Both Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland will be considering how best to tap into the potential tourism spin-off from the Olympics in London in 2012. Ease of access to London from an increasing number of airports on the island will be an important factor in exploiting the tourism dimension of the games. The successful hosting the Special Olympics world summer games in 2003 greatly enhanced Ireland's reputation and credibility on the world stage as a safe and welcoming destination. This positive experience is something we can very usefully build on in planning how we might optimise the tourism opportunities of the Olympics in 2012. To give added impetus to the drive to capitalise on the sporting and tourism opportunities of the London Olympics, I intend to establish an interagency group to support the work of the agencies working in this area.