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Update: Participation in the Rugby World Cup 1st July 2014

1st July 2014 - Bernard Durkan TD

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Dáil Question
No: 232

To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which discussions continue to take place with a view to the possible participation in the Rugby World Cup by way of offering a possible venue for events; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
– Bernard J. Durkan.
* For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 26th June, 2014.
　
　
Ref No:
27734/14 Proof: 258

Answered by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport
Leo Varadkar

REPLY

Last November the Government considered a Memorandum on the discussions and analysis to date on a potential bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2023.    While the Memorandum identified a number of challenges, the great potential of the event is also clear and I believe that hosting the Rugby World Cup on a cross-border basis in 2023 would be a great opportunity for Northern Ireland and Ireland.   In response to the Memorandum, the Government expressed strong support for the proposal and for the conduct of further work to get to the stage of making a formal decision to bid.    

To progress the matter further, Minister  Ring and I met with Minister Arlene Foster and Minister Carál Ní Chuilín, who are the Ministers respectively responsible for tourism and sport in the Northern Ireland Executive, in Armagh on 22 January. We established a working group to examine some key issues further and to report back to Ministers in the Summer.  

The working group, on which the IRFU and relevant Government Departments from both jurisdictions are represented,  has held a number of meetings to date and indeed is meeting again tomorrow.   I look forward to receiving their report later in the summer.

Bernard Durkan TD

Kildare North

Bernard J Durkan is the Fine Gael spokesperson on Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. Originally from Killasser, Co Mayo,…

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