Written answers

Tuesday, 13 May 2008

Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism

National Stadium

9:00 pm

Photo of Willie PenroseWillie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the status of the National Sports Campus at Abbotstown; the estimated completion date; the estimated cost of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17679/08]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 300: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his proposals in respect of the completion of the National Campus Stadium Ireland project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17993/08]

Photo of Martin CullenMartin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 300 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. In November 2005 the Government approved 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. — 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 also included agreement to relocate the headquarters of the Football Association of Ireland to the former State Laboratory building at Abbotstown. Work on the building has been completed and the FAI took possession of the building in December last year.

It is also intended to provide a headquarters for the Irish Institute for Sport by refurbishing the former Central Meat Control Laboratory building on the site. Planning permission for the refurbishment has been secured and it is expected that this work will be completed by end year.

The NSCDA recently completed the signing of contracts with a Project Management team and a Design Team. These teams have already commenced a consultation process with the relevant National Governing Bodies of Sport on their detailed requirements on the Campus. It will be the task of these teams to prepare the planning applications and it is anticipated that planning permission will be sought by end year. With a projected construction period of 3 to 4 years, the first phase of the project is expected to be completed in late 2011.

The Abbotstown facilities, when completed, will provide a much needed range of training and competitive facilities for our finest sportspersons.

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