Cycling Ireland and Sport Ireland have welcomed the inclusion of the long-awaited velodrome in the new National Development Plan announced by the Government this week.
However, while the shared badminton and cycling facility –
on the national sports campus in west Dublin – is included in the plan, there is
only one reference to it in the near 200-page document, which covers State
spending to 2030.
The plan states
the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Sport Ireland “are working to deliver key infrastructure to support the
development of world-class sporting facilities” at the Sport Ireland Campus.
“A key project
under this programme will be a state of the art Velodrome
and Badminton Centre with other projects being identified under the recently
completed Campus Masterplan,” the plan
adds, tough no date for the project’s commencement is referenced.
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Cycling Ireland issued a release saying it welcomed the plan, though none of its personnel were quoted in that release.
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The chairman of the Sport Ireland ‘campus development committee’,
Pat O’Connor, described the inclusion of the velodrome in the Government’s
National Development Plan as “a significant milestone for the Sport Ireland
Campus and Irish sport in general”.
“Sport Ireland will shortly publish a master plan for the
future development of the Sport Ireland Campus, with the velodrome and badminton
centre being one of the key pieces of infrastructure included in a
comprehensive and ambitious vision,” he said.
“With the backing of Government, Sport Ireland can
continue to plan with confidence and further develop the Sport Ireland Campus
as a world-class sporting facility.”
Chief executive of Sport Ireland, and Olympic silver medalist, John Treacy said the construction of the new velodrome and badminton facility would be a boost for those sports and for the national sports campus itself.
“Ireland has produced many fine track and road cyclists
over the years, while Irish badminton players have competed on the
international stage with distinction in recent years,” he said.
“The development of this facility will provide a place
(for) Irish athletes to train and compete on home soil and provide new
opportunities to up and coming cyclists and badminton players.”
