Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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54. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the role his Department is playing in Ireland's bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup; the number of other Departments that are involved; the status of the work completed to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14239/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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On 4 October 2016 World Rugby announced that Ireland had successfully completed the Applicant Phase of the bid to host the RWC in 2023 and had progressed to the Candidate Phase of the competition which was launched by the IRFU and both Governments on 15 November 2016. Both Governments are fully behind the bid and my Department's role is to support the Bid Team and manage the interaction with Government Departments to ensure the Public Sector requirements of the bid are delivered.

In this regard it supports the work of the Inter-Departmental/Agency Group (IDG) which was established to oversee the delivery of the Public Sector requirements.  It also maintains a close liaison with the Northern Ireland Department of Economy and sits on the Northern Ireland IDG.

Ireland's bid will cross over the remit of all public services and that is why we are working closely with all Government departments and agencies. To date, ten departments, as well as a number of agencies and other bodies, have been involved suporting and inputting into the bid which is due to be submitted to World Rugby by 1 June 2017.