Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 33: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if the National Sports Campus project will qualify as a strategic planning project for consideration directly by An Bord Pleanála; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31546/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The issue of whether the National Sports Campus Development project comes within the scope of the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006 does not arise as this Act encompasses energy, transport and waste management related environmental projects only.

In relation to the Campus project and in terms of the Planning procedures, a Planning Study for the Abbotstown site, which is a requirement under a local objective of the Fingal County Development Plan, has been completed by an inter-agency group, which included my Department. This Study sets out the mix of sporting, leisure, and amenity facilities that would be appropriate for the site. The Planning Study was approved by Fingal County Council on 9 July and subsequently a Variation of the Fingal County Development Plan was adopted which will provide for the National Sports Campus. It is anticipated that planning permission will be sought in 2008 for Phase One of the Campus.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 34: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress on the development of the sports campus at Abbotstown; when he expects the contracts to be signed and work to begin; the cost of the Abbotstown project since its inception; if he is satisfied with the amount spent here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31446/07]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if the project management and design teams for the National Sports Campus have been appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31687/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the latest proposals for the completion of development at Campus Stadium Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31843/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 34, 90 and 93 together.

The Government has provided an amount of €149m in the National Development Plan 2007 to 2013 for the development of a National Sports Campus at Abbotstown. Prior to that, in January, 2004, the Government agreed to proceed, as financial resources permit, with the development of a Campus of Sports facilities at Abbotstown. The Government then approved in November, 2005 the commencement of Phase One of the development of the National Sports Campus on the basis of a Development Control Plan prepared by Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Company Ltd (CSID), the predecessor of the National Sports Campus Development Authority (NSCDA). These facilities will be designed to meet the indoor and outdoor training needs of Irish elite sportspersons who compete at national and international levels and will also provide for the needs of the local community.

The Government decision for this stage of development included agreement to move the HQ of the FAI to the former State Laboratory building at Abbotstown. Work on the building has now been completed and the FAI have recently taken possession of the building. It is also intended to provide a headquarters for the Institute for Sport by refurbishing an existing building on the site and preliminary planning on this project has commenced but no contractual arrangements have been entered into as yet.

A Planning Study for the Abbotstown site, which is a requirement under a local objective of the Fingal County Development Plan, has been completed by an inter-agency group, which included my Department. This Study sets out the mix of sporting, leisure, and amenity facilities that would be appropriate for the site. The Planning Study was approved at a meeting of Fingal County Council on 9 July last. Following on from this the site has been rezoned to provide for the development of the Campus. Since the Government decision early in 2004 to proceed with the Campus development, the cumulative cost of consolidating and developing the project thus far including the refurbishment of the building for the HQ of the FAI, has come to €12.39 million. Expenditure on the Campus prior to 2004, and chiefly involving the capital cost of the National Aquatic Centre opened in 2003, was €81 million of which €62.5 million (ex Vat) is attributable directly to the capital development of the Centre.

Preliminary planning for Phase One of the project has commenced and the NSCDA expects to be in a position to appoint a Design Team and a Project Management Team for the project in the near future. It is then the intention of the Authority to have detailed plans prepared, for the implementation of Phase One, and it is estimated that planning permission will be sought during the course of 2008.

The Abbotstown facilities, when completed will provide a much needed range of training and competitive facilities for our finest sportspersons. Through the National Aquatic Centre a top world class sports facility has already been provided. Now being progressed is the development of a state of the art complex of quality facilities to serve a wide spectrum of sport activities and disciplines which will benefit elite sports persons and the local community alike.