27. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the position regarding the development projects announced for the national sports campus; when the national velodrome and badminton centre and the national cricket stadium will be built; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36859/24]

An ambitious vision for the development of a national sports centre of excellence is set out under the National Sports Campus Masterplan and the Government will continue to support Sport Ireland in bringing this vision to fruition.

A National Velodrome and Badminton Centre and a National Cricket Stadium are important elements of the Campus Masterplan and I recently granted approval for Sport Ireland to progress both developments.

The National Velodrome and Badminton Centre will comprise of a 250 metre cycling track and up to 12 badminton courts in the in-track area, in addition to spectator seating and ancillary facilities. The Centre will provide world-class track cycling facilities for our athletes who currently have to travel abroad for both training and competition, as well as providing the sport of badminton with integrated training, gym and medical facilities. Planning permission for this project was awarded by Fingal County Council in January 2023 and Sport Ireland is now proceeding to tender stage. It is expected that construction will begin in 2025, with a likely completion date of mid-2027.

The proposed National Cricket Stadium will deliver a permanent home for international cricket in Ireland that meets International Cricket Council requirements and standards. The facility is expected to include a high performance centre, an arena for holding major games with associated media and spectator facilities and headquarter offices for Cricket Ireland. The facilities will be focussed on elite teams and high performance but will also be accessible for use by teams and players at a range of levels, including youth and local teams.The facility will play an important role in Cricket Ireland's plans to deliver on its co-hosting responsibilities with England, Wales and Scotland for the 2030 T20 World Cup. This project is now at pre-tender planning and design phase. The project will be delivered on a phased basis, with Phase 1 scheduled to commence in 2025 and to be completed in 2028.

The National Sports Campus is already a world-leading athlete focused facility and this next phase of its development will further enhance Ireland’s sporting infrastructure.