THE ECONOMIC downturn will not affect Government funding for the Lansdowne Road stadium project, Minister for Sport Martin Cullen said yesterday.
"I am happy to confirm that the Government's allocation of €191 million is capped at that figure, and it is accepted by the two main sporting bodies involved," the Minister added.
The Government has committed the funding to the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road as a 50,000-seat rugby and soccer stadium by 2010, with the balance coming from the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).
Mr Cullen said the two bodies had confirmed that they had no difficulty meeting their commitments. The project would be completed on time and within budget.
The Minister was speaking at a press conference in Dublin where he announced €50 million in funding for 682 projects under this year's sports capital programme.
FAI chief executive John Delaney, who attended the press conference, said his organisation's funding was in place for the Lansdowne Road project. "There has been plenty of speculation, but I deal with the facts," he added.
"There are no issues relating to the funding, from the perspective of the FAI and the IRFU."
The grants include €3 million to develop Thomond Park rugby ground in Limerick. Mr Cullen said the sports capital programme aimed to prioritise the needs of disadvantaged areas. This year's allocation was €15.8 million.
Mr Cullen said he was also making strategic investments in high-performance facilities which would allow Irish athletes to train and compete at the highest level.
