GAA say national plan not affected by failure to complete WIT hurling centre

The GAA has said that it's National Hurling Development Plan hasn't been adversely affected by the difficulties being encountered at Waterford IT's proposed National Hurling and Camogie Development Centre, which has still not being completed nearly two years after it was expected to be finished.

A source in the association said: “Effectively it hadn’t been completed when governance issues arose but while we’d obviously be a lot happier if the project was finished it’s not affecting our work with the designated counties.”

At the time of the hurling plan's launch in February 2012, it was envisaged that, "the National Hurling and Camogie Development Centre in the Waterford Institute of Technology Sports Campus would be the location for the funded provision of its sports science supports to six counties – Antrim, Down, Carlow, Laois, Westmeath and Kerry."

The centre wasn’t to be funded by the GAA but Waterford county board has effectively been an anchor tenant.

‘Useful exercise’

“It didn’t inhibit what we intended to do with the counties involved,” according to the source. “It was a useful exercise in getting them to engage and teed up what we’ve been trying to do since.

"The work continues and to an extent time has moved on with other centres, like Athlone IT and Carlow IT now providing the same services.

“Carlow is convenient to both Laois and obviously Carlow and Antrim and Down have been able to avail of the facilities in SINI (Sports Institute of Northern Ireland) “

Phase II of the multi-million euro Carriganore project awaits completion with fears that spiralling costs could lead to the project, originally costed at around €10 million running €3 million over budget.

As things stand, money needed to complete work at the facility is not available.

In November 2012 it emerged that the Institute was not in a position to provide any additional funding to complete the project, despite warnings that it would run over budget if not completed on time.

Rising costs

To date, is it believed that approximately €7 million has been spent on the project. Rising costs could have a serious knock-on effect as WIT strives to preserve key sporting activities, including the training of GAA teams, at the impressive complex.

Other sporting codes are also catered for at the WIT sports campus, which was intended to be the flagship sports complex in the south-east of the country.