With a planning decision expected very soon from Fingal County Council for the new National Velodrome and Badminton Centre in west Dublin, Government departments are now moving towards agreeing funding for the construction of the project.
It is anticipated construction will begin in less than 12 months time and while funding has been set aside for "preparatory work" on the project next year, the main cost of the shared Cycling Ireland and Badminton Ireland facility still must be agreed. The first moves in that process are now about to get underway, according to the latest comments from the Government.
Minister for State for Sport Jack Chambers (FF) has said officials from his department are about to enter into talks with their counterparts in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the issue of funding the project. Some estimates have put the cost at about €60 million.
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News that inter-departmental talks about full funding will soon commence follows confirmation last week that the National Velodrome and Badminton Centre on the Sport Ireland Campus in Abbottstown has been prioritised in the campus's long-term masterplan published last week.
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Now in reply to a question in the Dáil, Chambers has once again indicated a planning decision is expected very quickly and that the plan to build the velodrome and badminton centre is now at the point that funding talks will soon be taking place.
"The first high-level project for delivery under the new masterplan is likely to be the National Velodrome and Badminton Centre," Chambers said, referring to the Sport Ireland Campus 15-20 year masterplan, in his Dáil reply to Christopher O'Sullivan TD (FF).
"A planning application for the project was lodged with Fingal County Council by Sport Ireland in August and a decision is expected in the coming weeks.
"My Department will be engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to funding to progress the key high level projects identified in the Campus Masterplan, with a specific near term focus on the National Velodrome and Badminton Centre."
In September, Chambers pointed out some money had already been allocated for next year for the velodrome. He said capital funding of €9.6 million was earmarked for 2023, to continue the development of the entire Sport Ireland campus. Some of that money, he said, was to "progress preparatory work on the National Velodrome and Badminton Centre project". However, that is separate to the much larger sum needed to build the facility.
