Written answers

Tuesday, 23 May 2006

Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism

Tourism Promotion

9:00 pm

Photo of Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 314: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the level of funding provided by successive Governments since 1995 to initiate and develop the Ryder Cup project up to the event in September 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19170/06]

Photo of John O'DonoghueJohn O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed that since the Agreement with the PGA European Tour to stage the Ryder Cup in Ireland was signed in 1998, total expenditure by Fáilte Ireland in securing the event and exploiting its tourism promotional benefits, will amount to €15.7 million, of which €9.4 million (60%) is committed to 2006.

The total expenditure figure includes an amount of €4.9 million paid to the PGA European Tour under the terms of the Agreement. It also includes an additional €4.5 million allocated to Fáilte Ireland in the 2006 Revised Estimates in order to support an enhanced programme of marketing and promotional activities around the Ryder Cup, including a National Branding Programme and a number of golf marketing initiatives, and support for an appropriate complementary programme of Ryder Cup related events, including the official opening and closing ceremonies and other initiatives intended to raise the profile of the occasion within Ireland.

The benefits of the Ryder Cup, which will take place in the K Club, Co. Kildare, from 22-24 September, 2006, are enormous and include television coverage to over 550 million homes worldwide, with a potential audience of up to one billion viewers and the presence of over 2,000 international media personnel who will report from Ireland before and during the event.

It is unlikely that Ireland will ever again host a sporting event which attracts as much worldwide interest as the Ryder Cup and it is important that we continue to maximise the enormous potential that exists to capitalise on the event.

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