Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 35: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the amount of money that will be allocated by his Department towards the development of Sports Campus Ireland in 2007; the way this money will be spent; the latest timetable available for the development of sports facilities on this site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40821/06]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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In November 2005, the Government gave its assent to the commencement of Phase One of the development of the National Sports Campus at Abbotstown. The estimated overall cost of the Phase One development is €119m and development is scheduled to take place over a 4 to 5 year period. Funds for the delivery of the project have been provided in my Department's capital envelope for 2006-2010. I am satisfied that I will have ample funds in my Vote to meet both the current and capital needs of the Campus project in 2007.

Phase One of the Development Control Plan will provide:

a National Field Sports training centre, catering for rugby, soccer, Gaelic games and hockey;

a National Indoor Training Centre which will provide world class training facilities for over 30 Governing Bodies of Sport;

accommodation for sports men and women; sports science/ medical facilities;

all-weather synthetic pitches for community use; and

renovation of existing buildings to cater for needs identified by sports bodies.

The Fingal County Development Plan for the Abbotstown area requires that a study is undertaken to determine a suitable mix of sporting and appropriate commercial, leisure, and amenity uses to create a vibrant and sustainable sports campus and assess the possibility of opening up park lands for the residents of the Blanchardstown Area. In this regard, an inter-agency group is currently at work; it is chaired by the Office of Public Works and includes my Department. The Planning Study is currently underway and is expected to be completed before the end of the year. When agreed it will act as a blue-print for the planning process for each facility to be provided at Abbotstown over the next four years. In the meantime, planning and preparatory work for this project has commenced and work is already underway on the refurbishment of the State Laboratory as the new headquarters for FAI Ireland.