Minister addresses first board meeting of National Sports Campus Development Authority
MINISTER ADDRESSES FIRST BOARD MEETING OF NEW NATIONAL SPORTS CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Authority to Advertise for Design and Project Management Teams for €120 million Phase One of Project
Work Commences on New FAI Headquarters
The recently established National Sports Campus Development Authority will begin assembling its team to deliver the €120 million Phase I of the National Sports Campus project before the end of January. Over the next week advertisements will be placed in the European Journal for both design and project management, the two key components of the team needed to deliver the project. The intention is to lodge for planning permission in early 2008.
This announcement was made by Mr John O’Donoghue, TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, who was addressing the first meeting of the National Sports Campus Development Authority earlier today 25 January 2007. The Authority, which came into being on January 1 of this year, has been established to develop the National Sports Campus at Abbotstown and to ultimately manage all of the facilities on that site including the existing National Aquatic Centre.
Minister O’Donoghue noted that the Government had committed €120 million to the funding of Phase I of the project. Phase I consists of the development of:
· 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.
The Minister also noted that many of the National Governing Bodies of Sport would be moving onto the National Sports Campus site and in that context said that enabling work had already been completed at the former State Laboratory which would allow for its refurbishment as the new headquarters of the FAI. He said that the FAI would be consolidating all of their operations at Abbotstown and developing an academy on the site. The Minister also referred to the establishment of the Irish Institute of Sport and noted that a building on the Abbotstown site had been identified to be the home of the Institute. Work would also shortly start on this building.
In a wide ranging address to the board Minister O’Donoghue noted that the establishment of the National Sports Campus Development Authority was a very important development in the history of Irish sport. He said: “This is a clear demonstration of the Government’s commitment to sport and my determination to have the National Sports Campus established”.
“Since we came into Government in 1997 we have invested almost €1 billion in sport. I have secured an increase of over 30% for sport in 2007 when we will be spending over €316m. This underpins my commitment and that of the Government to sport in Ireland. We need to continue to make this type of investment to secure the future of sport and to help us compete on the international stage. It is not enough anymore to invest to compete – we must have an edge. This is why we need the facilities that will help us to train to win.”
Minister O’Donoghue went on to speak of the importance of the National Sports Campus which he said was a vital component in developing a sporting infrastructure in Ireland which would support our sportsmen and sportswomen by providing them with state-of-the-art sports facilities. In that context he noted the appointment of Mr Dan Flinter as chairman of the new Authority. Mr Flinter had previously chaired the groups to establish the Irish Sports Council’s high performance strategy and the proposals for the Irish Institute of Sport.
Minister O’Donoghue said that following the Government decision in 2004 to proceed with a National Sports Campus a Development Control Plan for the whole of the Abbotstown site had been created. He said that he had brought this plan to the Government and had subsequently secured €120 million for the funding of the first phase of the project.
He said that “we are now really ready to proceed with the development over the next four to five years and to facilitate that process a Planning Study is currently being carried out. This planning study is a requirement of the Fingal County Development Plan which will need to be varied to include the Campus.” He noted that the Planning Study would be completed by the end of January at which stage it would be published.
“Public consultation is a critical part of the process. There was a very smooth passage through the planning process for the National Aquatic Centre and not one objection was lodged. This was because of the close links that were established with the local community.”
Minister O’Donoghue said he expected Phase One to be completed in time to capitalise on opportunities presented by London hosting the 2012 Olympics. “In August last year I established the London 2012 Olympics Task Force to ensure Ireland can identify and maximise the complete range of opportunities arising from its proximity to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London 2012. Both Dan Flinter and Pat Hickey are members of that Task Force. Pat has told me that many national teams will be interested in locating here prior to the London games provided we have the facilities to attract them. It is important therefore that have these facilities at Abbotstown and that they are ready in good time to maximise this potential.”
Minister O’Donoghue also noted that the National Aquatic Centre which had come back under control of the State at the end of 2006 would now be under the control of the National Sports Campus Development Authority. He noted that the National Aquatic Centre was an excellent example of the world class facilities which it was intended to have throughout the National Sports Campus.
(ends)
For further information, please contact:-
Donagh Morgan, National Sports Campus Development Authority Tel: 8097300
or 087 2557492
or
Roddy Guiney, WHPR Tel: 01 669 0030 or 087 2523 095
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES OF BOARD
DAN FLINTER :
He is a Company Director and a business strategy consultant. He is Chairman of Doulog Holdings , Chairman of the Governing Authority of NUI Maynooth, board member of PM Holdings and National Irish Bank. He is a member of the London 2012 Task Force. Former CEO of Enterprise Ireland and an executive director of IDA.
MARY DAVIS :
Currently CEO of Special Olympics Ireland, she was CEO of the 2003 Special Olympics World Games. She has been appointed by President McAleese to the Council of State . She served on the Board of Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Ltd.
LUCY GAFFNEY:
She is a Company Director and Consultant. She is the Chairperson of the Strategic Monitoring Group overseeing the implementation of the National Action Plan Against Racism. She was a director of the 2003 Special Olympics World Games and served on the Board of Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Ltd.
CON HAUGH;
Assistant Secretary in charge of Sport and Finance Divisions at the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism. He served as Chairman of Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Ltd since March 2002.
SEAN BENTON:
Chairman of the Office of Public Works he had previously been a Commissioner in the Office of Public Works. Prior to his appointment as Commissioner Mr Benton was Director of Finance with the Department of Health. He served on the Board of Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Ltd.
WILLIAM ATTLEY:
Former General Secretary, SIPTU, he is currently serving as a Board member on the Public Service Benchmarking Body. He is currently serving on the Council of the FAI and as a Referee Observer for UEFA. A member of the EU Social and Economic Committee he has served on the Board of Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Ltd.
TOM KIERNAN:
A chartered accountant and a former international rugby player. He captained Ireland 24 times and captained the Lions in South Africa in 1968. He coached Ireland and also the Munster team that defeated the All Blacks in 1978. He has served on the Board of Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Ltd.
JOHN TREACY:
The CEO of the Irish Sports Council he was one of Ireland's leading athletes for many years. In 1978 and 1979 he won the IAAF World Cross Country Championships At the 1984 Summer Olympics, he won a silver medal in the marathon. He has served on the Board of Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Ltd.
PAT HICKEY:
President of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) he was appointed President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) in 2006. He is also a member of the London 2012 Taskforce, which was established in 2006 to ensure Ireland can identify and maximise the complete range of opportunities arising from its proximity to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London 2012.
CAROLINE MURPHY:
A former member of Cospoir, the non-statutory National Sports Council she has had a long-term involvement in the area of sports broadcasting. She edited, produced, directed and presented a variety of top Television programmes including: The Sunday Game, Sydney 2000, Wimbledon and both the European and World Hockey Championships.
CHRISTY O'CONNELL:
Former chairman of South Kerry Senior GAA Board and the former Chairman of the South Kerry Board na nOg, he represented Kerry in football at both Minor and under 21 levels. He was a founder member of the Kerry Athletics Board and Kerry Soccer Board. He has been involved in various sub-committees of Kerry County Board and is very actively involved in the South Kerry Sports Centre.
MIRIAM O'CALLAGHAN:
Former President of Cumann Camoghaiochta na nGael, she is currently the projects manager for the HSE for Tullamore Hospital. She served on Tullamore Town Council for 25 years and Offaly County Council for over 8 years.
SEءN DONNELLY :
A civil engineer he has served on the Board of Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Ltd.