Richard Boyd Barrett: Demands probe into €60–80m Cherrywood ice rink plan
Richard Boyd Barrett addressed the minister about a proposed private ice rink and stadium in Cherrywood and opposed a potential state payout of 60 to 80 million euros to private investors. He argued the proposal is unjustified while the planned town centre remains unbuilt and grassroots sports lack funding.
Alleged private request for 60 to 80 million
He said he understands a group of private investors has asked the state for between 60 and 80 million to build an ice rink and stadium in Cherrywood, a proposal he believes is being entertained by a number of government departments. He said the project is being pitched primarily for ice hockey.
Cherrywood development and unfulfilled commitments
He described Cherrywood as one of the biggest residential developments in Europe and the biggest in Ireland, a new town planned for 25,000 to 30,000 people. He stressed the whole development was conditional on the creation of a town centre with community facilities, supermarkets and bridges - commitments he says private developers have not fulfilled despite having built the houses and made large profits.
Impact on grassroots sports and local facilities
He highlighted that grassroots sports groups are crying out for facilities and that ice hockey itself is short of investment. He said Ice Hockey Ireland told him it is not in favour of the proposed private scheme and that, for a fraction of the requested sum, an ice rink could be built to serve local needs.
Demand for investigation and immediate concerns
He demanded the matter be investigated and said there should be no 60 to 80 million euro handout to big private investors while Cherrywood lacks its town centre and grassroots sports are desperate for sports infrastructure. He called on the minister and relevant departments to reconsider priorities and examine the proposal closely.
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Minister, Cherrywood in South Dublin is one of the biggest residential developments in Europe, and the biggest in Ireland. It's a new town, there's going to be 25,000 to 30,000 people living there. The whole thing was conditional on the development of a town centre, with community facilities, supermarkets, all the rest of it. The developers built the houses, made big profits, private developers, they're refusing to build the town centre. On which the whole thing was predicated, and are trying to put the state over a barrel on the town centre that the community needs for this new town. They're refusing to build bridges that we're committed to. Now, at the same time, I understand a group of private investors have asked the state for between 60 and 80 million to build an ice rink and stadium in Cherrywood. 60 to 80 million euro, private investors, while the town centre is not being built, while grassroots sports groups and so on are crying out for facilities. A group of private investors, and I believe this is being entertained by a number of government departments, to build a private ice rink for ice hockey. And I just want to say, I talked to Ice Hockey Ireland, they're not even in favour of it. They say for a fraction of that, they could build an ice rink, which would be good to have in Ireland. But this is going to be given to private investors, massive cost, when there's no town centre, and when grassroots sports, including ice hockey itself, are starved of the money necessary to provide sports infrastructure for the people living in places like Cherrywood and in the wider area. So I want this investigated. There is no way there should be a 60 to 80 million handout to big private investors, when there's no town centre in Cherrywood, and when grassroots sports are desperate for money for sports infrastructure.
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