Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 248: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position regarding the future of the Campus Stadium Ireland project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24827/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has provided an amount of €149 million in the National Development Plan 2007 to 2013 for the development of a National Sports Campus at Abbotstown. Prior to that, the Government 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 sports persons 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 move the HQ of the FAI to the former State Laboratory building at Abbotstown. Work on the building was completed and the FAI took possession of the building in December last year. It is also intended to provide a headquarters for the Institute for Sport by refurbishing an existing building on the site.

Project Management and Design Teams were appointed recently for Phase One. It is the intention of the Authority to have detailed plans prepared and it is estimated that planning permission for phase one will be sought later this year. The Abbotstown facilities, when completed, will provide a much needed range of training and competitive facilities for our finest sports persons. Through the National Aquatic Centre an excellent 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.

The first phase of the project will comprise:

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 20 National Governing Bodies of Sport;

Accommodation for sports men and women; sports science and medical facilities, and

All-weather synthetic pitches for community use.