Richard Boyd Barrett demands answers on €60m Cherrywood rink
Richard Boyd Barrett presses ministers in parliament over a private consortium's request for state funding toward two ice hockey rinks and a conference centre in Cherrywood. He demands to know how much the consortium has asked from the government and raises concerns about local sports priorities and an unrelated football fixture involving Israel.
The funding question
Richard Boyd Barrett highlights figures being floated for the Cherrywood development - a reported total investment near €190 million and a possible state contribution in the region of €50-60 million, about one third of the project. He asks ministers to confirm how much public money has been requested and why there is no clear answer.
Local sporting priorities
Boyd Barrett contrasts the potential subsidy for a private ice-rink project with urgent local needs: inadequate astro pitches, clubs lacking clubhouses and long-running campaigns by community teams such as Sally Noggin Pearce. He argues the application should be weighed against grassroots sport demands and taxpayer priorities.
Government response and decision process
A minister replies that the request is under consideration, that government receives many proposals, and that any decision must balance impact, participation and best value for citizens. The minister confirms the consortium sought roughly a third of the overall investment and says the government will respond once consideration is complete.
Sporting ethics and international context
Boyd Barrett closes by raising a separate concern about international sport: whether it is appropriate for national teams to play matches against states the Irish government has publicly criticised. He asks why the government allows the decision to rest with the FAI when questions of moral consistency are being raised by players and the public.
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I've asked twice, I'm not sure which minister is answering, how much has the consortium seeking to build two ice hockey rinks and a conference centre in Cherrywood, a private consortium seeking to build, how much have they asked the government for? They're floating a figure of 190 million for two private ice rinks, which would, and I've heard a rumour that the government is being asked for a third of that money, which would be north of 60 million euro, which would be a lot of money, and I've asked twice how much have you been asked for and I've only been told that you're considering the issue. Now I just want to say I have nothing against ice hockey, I'd like to see an ice hockey rink somewhere, but I can tell you on the list of priorities for sports organisations in my area, where they're crying out for the money for astro pitches which are inadequate, or the club that Paul McGrath started with, Sally Noggin Pearce, is looking just for a clubhouse, Sally Noggin Pearce has been fighting for more than 10 years just for a clubhouse, and they're in conjunction with Grenada, a big youth soccer team, looking for, and we're fighting and we can't get the money for a clubhouse, right? So the idea that 60 million might go out for a private ice rink in Cherrywood when there's clubs desperate for stuff, and I can't even get a straight answer how much have they asked for, so could somebody please tell us how much was asked for? I don't have the specific note here, but from memory, Deputy Power Barrett, it is in the region of 50 to 60 million is what they ask us. So listen, we in government get many, many asks, as you can understand, if we were to follow through on every ask we got, we'd be spending a multiple of what we do spend. So that request has come in, it's something that's receiving consideration by government, we will respond directly to the consortium once it's received that consideration. Your point is absolutely fair. Any decisions we make has to be taken in the context of impact and participation, balancing any government decision against competing interests, and making sure we're delivering the best impact for the taxpayer and the ordinary citizen which we're serving. But it is in the region of 50, 60 million in the vast majority? It's in the region of a third of the overall investment. Okay, but it's not on the list of priorities for people in the area, if I might just say so. Lastly, I just want to say, you know, surely we can't treat as normal states that are in the dock and where our state has said it's guilty of genocide, right, the Irish government have said Israel is guilty of genocide. And if we don't, do we think it's appropriate, because Nathan Collins basically pointed the finger at the government when he was asked about this yesterday, he said if the government thinks it's okay. Do you want an answer? Yeah, I want an answer. Why do you, does the government think it's okay to play against a football match against a state that is in the dock and the government itself has said is guilty of genocide? Well, listen, we've always been clear that it's a matter for the FAI to decide. Obviously, they brought a motion to UEFA, which they didn't get support for. Unlike with Russia, UEFA have not banned Israel from footballing competitions and the FAI are fulfilling their obligations within their own footballing structure. We as a country continue to lead out in relation to the activities of Israel. Players were pointing to you. Players were pointing to the government. Well, I mean, the government have always been clear in terms of where the decision lies here.
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