Funding grant creates confusion

GAA/News: The €19 million grant allocated this week to the GAA to redevelop Croke Park is not part of the €75 million figure committed to the association at their congress of April last year, according to the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation.

That larger figure, according to Minister John O'Donoghue, has not yet been paid out since it was part of the negotiations related to Campus Stadium Ireland. But, in an apparent contradiction, the GAA have stated that payment of the €75 million has already begun and remains on schedule to be completed next year.

On Tuesday night, Minister O'Donoghue told the Dail that sporting bodies would receive a further €30 million in supplementary estimates to provide for a number of important interventions aimed at enhancing the level and quality of facilities and programmes in Irish sport.

The amount of €19.46 million would go to the GAA to assist them in the funding of the completion of phase three of the Croke Park redevelopment programme (the new Hogan Stand portion of the stadium).

This grant, said O'Donoghue, would not just assist the GAA to complete a magnificent stadium required by a major sport with huge attendances, but it would also help alleviate the demand on the association's national funds which can now be better deployed in helping local clubs, county and provincial boards to provide much needed new and enhanced facilities throughout the country.

But this was not part of the controversial €75 million (then £60 million, reported to be paid in three yearly instalments of £20 million) committed to the GAA by the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on the eve of the GAA Congress in April 2001.

In a statement on the matter yesterday, the Minister said that those proposals presented to the GAA were to form the basis for further detailed negotiations between the association and the Government in the context of the future use of the facilities to be provided at Campus Stadium Ireland: "In view of the issues raised in the High Point Rendel Report on the Stadium and Sports Campus Ireland, the detailed negotiations referred to have not yet taken place and so the question of related funding does not arise."

However, the Department of Sport did confirm that from 1997 to date grants totalling €63.49 million have been provided by the Government for the redevelopment of Croke Park.

In addition, funding amounting to €46,166,295 was allocated to Gaelic Games projects under the 2001 and 2002 sports capital programmes (consisting of €19,993,295 in 2001 and €26,173,000 in 2002).

A spokesperson for the GAA said yesterday that all commitments regarding the funding for Croke Park, and including the opening instalments of the €75 million, have been met to date and that the GAA was "happy and confident" that the remaining grant would be paid.

It was pointed out, too, that the GAA President, Seán McCague, had made reference to the larger grant at this year's Congress in mid-April. He said that payment of the £60 million figure was on schedule and he rejected any conspiracy theories connected with the grant.

"The reality is we received a Government funding commitment with no commitments in regard to the use of our grounds. And there is no connection between Government funding, use of Croke Park, or any of our grounds."

Though the Department did not indicate whether the €19 million was a substitute sum committed by the Taoiseach, or an additional grant, there is some contradiction between the two parties over what exact money is now being paid out.