Govt. to decide this week on €6m backing for Volvo

A CABINET meeting of Government Ministers will gather this week to discuss whether or not the State will give financial backing for Galway City’s bid for a stopover port for the Volvo Ocean Race in 2012.

The local organisers of last summer’s Volvo Ocean Race, who are working tirelessly to regain the event in two years time, expect a decision within the next week from Government on whether it will stump up around €6 million in funding to restage a stopover.

Galway has a one in three chance of becoming a stopover port for the race in 2012 and is competing against Lorient, France and Lisbon, Portugal to secure the event.

The overall organisers will announce the winner from the three competing cities by the end of January and Government backing in terms of a financial commitment is seen as crucial to Galway’s hopes.

The Cabinet will meet either later today or Wednesday to discuss Galway’s bid and will inform Let’s Do It Galway of their decision in writing within the next week.

John Killeen, who was one of the men responsible for securing the Volvo Ocean Race in 2009, says the Lorient bid in particular is very strong and the Lisbon bid is receiving serious political backing but he is still hopeful Galway can secure a stopover again with Government support.

“It’s a good investment – there are not many investments where you get a return on your investment in the same year you invest,” said Mr Killeen, who cited an independent report which noted the 2009 event injected €55.8minto the local economy.

Mr Killeen added that Lorient “are well down the road” in terms of their bid and the French even have a race entry sorted. The Lisbon bid is not as advanced but there are “considerable political soundings coming from Portugal” in favour of its bid.

He is not worried, however, as Galway still has the Green Dragon, which may need modifying. “We’re nearly ready now – we’re actually more ready than we were the last time! We just have to wait and see what the Government does ... but I’m hopeful,” he added.

Meanwhile, City Councillor Cllr Pádraig Conneely, who held the office of Mayor during the successful stopover last June, has called on the Government to “show us the money”.

Continued on page 12 of this week’s Sentinel