Pairc Tailteann progress receives huge financial boost

EXCLUSIVE More money available for redevelopment of Pairc Tailteann

Next year’s proposed redevelopment of Pairc Tailteann received another huge boost this evening with Minister for Sport Thomas Byrne announcing that the coffers will be boosted by a further €2,309,000 from the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).

“I am delighted to confirm that a significant further investment is being made in the home of Meath GAA, Páirc Tailteann, by the Government,” said Minister Byrne.

“As Sport Minister, I am determined to see continued investment in sports facilities in Meath and across the country, in order to ensure we achieve our ambitious targets for sports participation. By investing in sport facilities across our county and country, we can best nurture our future sporting talents and reap the benefits of sport and physical activity when it comes to our health and wellbeing.

“ I am also very glad to confirm that a new round of the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund will open for applications in the first half of 2024, with the dates, terms and conditions to be published on my Department’s website in due course.”

Páirc Tailteann was provisionally allocated €6,273,139 under the first round of LSSIF announced in January 2020. Under the top ups, they are due to receive €2,309,000. Meaning a total of €8,582,139 being allocated by the Government towards the project.

The first LSSIF allocations were announced just prior to the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, but since then, many grantees have faced significant financial challenges owing to the pandemic and construction inflation.

On foot of this, the Department undertook a review of all projects and following this, ministers and the Department engaged with Minister Donohoe in seeking additional funding from the Dept of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

These discussions led to an additional €30 million in funding being made available under LSSIF for 2024 and 2025.

In their report to next Monday night's convention Pairc Tailteann CLG, the committee charged with bringing about the redevelopment of the ground, revealed that they hope to finish the new design this year, go to tender in Q2 next year and, subject to finance being in place, commence construction by Q4 of 2024.

In July chairman of Meath GAA's Infrastructure Committee Noel Dempsey revealed plans to go ahead with the building of a new stand.

It was originally planned to commence work on the north terrace but those plans have now been shelved and instead the south side of the ground will be developed with the demolition of the existing stand and the erection of a new 5,000 capacity all seater stand.

The new building will consist of four dressing rooms, toilets at each end, medical room, drug testing room, match officials room, control room for crowd safety officer, facilities for print and broadcasting media, Ard Comhairle area with meeting room nearby.

There will be a wheelchair area to the front under roof cover and with unobstructed views. There will also be an equipment storage area and a players’ exit to pitch from the centre of the stand. Floodlighting will also be installed as well as an irrigation system and the embankments behind both goals will be upgraded.

As well as this boost from the LSSIF Dempsey revealed that they have made submissions to raise further funding from the Immigrant Investment programme.

"We have submissions made now under the Immigrant Investment Programme for up to €12.8m and if all that comes in we are certainly well funded at that stage.

“Croke Park are assisting us at the moment and we’d expect to get more money from both Croke Park and from Leinster Council. It’s a matter of timing. The project is priced at around €19m with Dempsey also confirming that the GAA were on board.

“We had a meeting with Croke Park and outlined fully where we were and they seemed to be happy with that.

“They asked for further details which we have given to them. Their main concern was whether planning is still in place. The finance is obviously of concern to them as well," said Dempsey.