The expected Government reshuffle may have been delayed by the Garth Brooks concerts but Transport, Tourism and Sport Minister Leo Varadkar was keeping busy by signing the go ahead for work to start on the National High Performance Centre as part of the Irish Institute of Sport yesterday.
The Centre will provide training, rehabilitation, and strength and conditioning facilities for athletes in a new extension to the existing Irish Institute of Sport building at the National Sports Campus in Dublin.
Athletes from a wide range of sports will be catered for including boxing and athletics. Dedicated facilities will include a six-lane running track, jumps area, performance analysis area, strength and conditioning facilities, rehabilitation and physiotherapy areas and a boxing area.
“I’m delighted that work can now start on the High Performance Centre. It represents the first stage of the new National Indoor Arena and will be completed in time to support our elite athletes in their preparations for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio,” Minster Varadkar said.
Unparalleled
“The Institute of Irish Sport already offers unparalleled support for our elite athletes and these new facilities will expand the range of services available.”
Minister Varadkar also approved the start of work on a Campus Pavilion building, to accommodate changing facilities for the National Indoor Arena. Work on the High Performance Centre and Pavilion Building is expected to start in September, once the necessary procurement process has been conducted by the National Sports Campus Development Authority.
It is expected that building work will take around nine months leaving the facilities available from the summer of 2015.
