Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 129: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the support he has given to the Football Association of Ireland proposal to host the 2011 UEFA Cup Final at Lansdowne Road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4758/08]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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At the opening to the new HQ for the Football Association of Ireland, at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, in December last, at which both I and the President of UEFA, Mr. Michel Platini, officiated, I took the opportunity to say that the new stadium at Lansdowne Road will be ready in 2010 and I hoped that UEFA will do us the honour of bringing the UEFA Cup Final in 2011 to Dublin so that the new stadium can be seen in all its splendour. During a fact finding exercise in Dublin by a UEFA team a senior official of my Department met the team and attended an event at which my case for holding the Cup Final in Dublin in 2011 was put forward. Naturally I hope that this ambition can be realised, but fully accept, of course, that this is a matter entirely for decision of the UEFA. I am happy to support the FAI in its bid to bring this prestigious event to Dublin.