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LAST UPDATE | 15 Nov 2022
MINISTERS HAVE SIGNED off on Ireland’s joint bid to host Euro 28, while Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath said that “no major capital outlay” will be necessary should the event happen here.
Speaking to reporters today, the minister said that because the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park could host matches, no major investment in new facilities is required.
“In that respect, there is no major capital outlay, though there will be some outlay in terms of making sure the stadiums meet the standards for holding matches of that stature. So what we have agreed is a preliminary bid at this point, there has to be a final bid that I understand happens in the springtime.”
“And then it goes through a detailed process beyond that, so Minister Chambers and Minister Martin will say more in relation to their assessment of what the the likely costs are, but those won’t be finalised until the final bid is approved by government.”
The Government has confirmed that it will not have to underwrite the bid to host, as it did for the Rugby World Cup, however it will be committed to providing the guarantees in respect of transport , security and other matters.
When asked if the joint bid would automatically qualify for hosting the event, a government official said:
“It is too early to comment on qualification. A discussion about this will take place with UEFA at the appropriate time if the bid is successful.”
A memo on co-hosting the European football championship was brought before Cabinet by Culture Minister Catherine Martin and Sport Minister Jack Chambers.
The bid, which is being organised between Ireland and the UK, needs to be submitted ahead of the UEFA deadline tomorrow.
Under the plan, both the Aviva and Croke Park would potentially share seven games if the bid succeeds.
It is expected that 120,000 fans would travel to Ireland to attend games if the bid is approved by UEFA.
With the Aviva previously due to host games for Euro 2020 and due to host the 2024 Europa League Final, costs to upgrade the stadium to host games would be low.
However, Croke Park would require further investment to host games.
Last week, Chambers met with representatives from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to discuss the bid.
The Government had previously backed the joint bid to host the football tournament, with a letter of support being sent to the FAI earlier this year.
Currently, the only other bid likely to be submitted to UEFA is from Turkey. Irish authorities believe that there is a strong chance of success for the joint Ireland-UK bid.
The Cabinet also approved the publication of the new Gambling Regulation Bill today.
The new legislation, which has been spearheaded by the Department of Justice, plans to modernise Irish gambling licencing and regulation.
A Gambling Regulatory Authority is also set to be established under the legislation.
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Where would ANY of these people stay. Our hotels are full as is
@Jamie Murphy: We need to build more hotels.
@Jamie Murphy: it’s six years away, not six weeks.
@Ajax Penumbra: the price gougers will be rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of fleecing all and sundry….
@Paul Shepherd: that’s the spirit Paul!!
@Paul Shepherd: The same the world over.
Why is the proposal to play 7 games in Dublin?. Could we not play 2 of the games in Cork. Maybe it might spread the economic benefit to other parts of the country.
@Padraig: they probably looked at the comments made about Cork following the failed Rugby World Cup bid and thought nah
@Padraig: Because Croke Park and the Aviva are the only two stadiums in the country of a suitable standard and capacity. It would take an awful lot of investment to get the likes of Páirc Uí Chaoimh up to the required standard and fully seated capacity.
@The Logic: But if you read the article they say they will have to put investment into Croke Park. Then why not just do it to Pairc ui Chaoimh instead. Then we can actually call it an ‘Ireland’ bid.
@Padraig: because the levels of investment required are completely different. Croke Park already has the corporate facilities etc and apart from the Hill is fully seated. It won’t require much more than temporary seating over the Hill. Less than half of Páirc Uí Chaoimh’s capacity is seated and it would require huge investment in the facilities for the corporate and media requirements. Making it fully seated would also drastically reduce the capacity meaning much fewer fans can attend compared to Croke Park or Aviva. As much as some would like to make out, the choice of stadiums is not some anti-Cork or even pro-Dublin conspiracy, it is just the practical realities of what is available.
@Padraig: Dublin is Ireland shur
@The Logic: You obviously haven’t been in the new PUC. It is very much set up with media, corporate facilities etc. And Uefa are already discussing having safe standing in stadiums meaning by 2028 all seating may not be a requirement. Why would we even need Croker if we get a group game like say Iceland vs Serbia. It not like we will be hosting the final. You could put a less popular game in PUC. Obviously the two Dublin Ministers need to keep everything in their own backyard. It’s complete B$.
@Padraig: Pairc Uí Choimh is a more modern stadium than Croke Park. Its fully kitted out with bars and food stalls right around the ground and has fantastic corporate facilities. Yes it would beed seating on the terraces but then so would hill 16. Have people the old run down stadium that was leveled in their monds because thats gone folks. IM not saying it should be given a game or two as the Aviva and Croke park are bigger venues but it is a great stadium now with propper match experience. It’s just a shame we are so Dublin centric and thats not me having a parochial shot. It’s all just a direct result of narrow thinking as a country since it’s inception
@Padraig: We’ll agree to disagree on this being anything to do with keeping things in anyone’s backyard. It is the two biggest and most suitable stadiums in the country being chosen. It really is as simple as that. Moving any games to any other stadium, including PUC, would mean allowing tens of thousands fewer fans attend those games.
@Tom Collins: have you actually been to Croke Park recently? Top notch facilities
And Dublin Airport has no train station. Nor never will in my life time
@Simon Dwyer: Who cares?. It’s far easier and cheaper to get to by public transport than most other capital airports that do have train stations
It doesn’t really feel like hosting a tournament when the games are only in one city. Coupled with the chronic lack of housing and hotel space and it’s hard to imagine how there’ll be much support for it unless Ireland get an automatic qualifying spot for it.
In order to host euro 28 we would have to say goodbye to the hill 16 UFEA won’t allow standing at the tournament.
As far as I know temporary seating isn’t acceptable either. So the iconic hill 16 would be permanently all seater.
Certainly significant investment would be needed at GAA HQ
@Diarmuid: Temp seats, sorted.
Hopefully this happens but I could see Turkey winning unfortunately
@Bob Mac: i reckon you’re right, it’s like the rugby world cup bid all over again, the media more or less made out it was a done deal and we had it in the bag.. same thing now with the euros, not even a mention about the Turkish bid!
@Bob Mac: this will be the 6th Euros in a row they’ve applied to host. Be interesting to see if they change much about their bid after being denied 5 times
@Marty Moosehead: it’s strange that alright, I’d have thought the Irish media would surely focus primarily on the Turkish bid.
What a waste of money
@Aido: very negative my friend live a little
We need to build more houses, this shower will do anything providing it does not impinge on the value of the property protfolios held by the in crowd
It’s astounding that the PUC redevelopment didn’t include rail seating on the terraces and extending the roof over the ends (apparently the poor folks don’t get wet!). This type of bid cannot, and should not, be a Dublin-only affair. But the lack of a proper facility in Cork makes it inevitable
Our government haven’t got the political will to succeed with this bid considering they haven’t updated the infrastructure that made previous bids fail
@Richarddoherty: What previous bids have we made that failed?? We pulled out of the WC2030 race to focus on Euro2028. Other than that, I don’t think we have ever actually applied to host a Euros or World Cup.
@Kevin Collins: we did apply for Euro 2008 tbf, and RWC 2023, as well as putting forward a tentative initial bid for Euro 2020, and a subsequent successful bid for the Europe wide Euro 2020 after it was changed, which wee ultimately didn’t end up hosting.
Real Irish trait on the comments negative rubbish. Great idea and it would be massive to have matches here. The amount of planes and ferries over to the England and Scotland every weekend spending lots of Euros and giving out about a major tournament bid in a few years time. Mind boggling
Martin & Chambers.
Gambling problem, this government’s solution, another toothless quango that will be tied at the hip to the gambling interests, just like Utilities etc
Cost will be deliberately underestimated, economic benefit grossly overestimated and whole thing will be a financial mess. Foreign fans will get to experience Irish style gouging and never return. Leave it to the UK, Ireland not needed in the bid and our government need to focus on what’s important, not vanity projects. Remember Coveney and his Cork boat race, that and other misdemeanours destroyed his reputation!
6 Years away? If we had a border poll & united before then we wouldn’t even share a common travel area with the UK. Surely we would be better trying to put a bid together with other EU nations?
@Joe Thorpe: as if a border poll and unity are all likely to happen within 6 years. Been a tad widely optimistic
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