Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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131. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she and her Department support the potential hosting of various global sporting events in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9205/23]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland has consistently demonstrated an ambition to attract major international sports events that can make a positive return to the country. This is most recently evidenced by the Government’s decision to support the submission of a preliminary bid by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), with the UK football associations, for the right to host the UEFA Euro 2028 championships as well as the upcoming hosting of the following events:

- US College Football matches every August from 2022 to 2026

- The UEFA Europa League final in 2024, and

- The Ryder Cup in 2027 in Limerick

In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, a Major International Sports Events Policy is currently being developed by my Department. The aim is to establish whether and how Government should support major international sports events, the benefits it should seek to derive from such events, the supports it could offer and the kind of events it would prioritise for support.This will provide the basis for a Strategy to support and attract major international sports events and an assessment model based on the identified priorities. Mechanisms and channels to support events will also need to be developed.

While progress on the development of the policy was delayed by the pandemic, focused consultations with key stakeholders have been held and a public consultation was completed last year. Research, including consideration of the policies and strategies in place in other countries, has been undertaken and is continuing.

My Department is now working towards the development and publication of a high level policy paper in the coming months.