Around €1.2 million in taxpayers’ money could effectively be wasted if no further funding is secured for Finn Harps’ long-planned new stadium, it has been claimed.
Since 2014, there has been minimal work on the new Donegal Community Stadium, and according to Paul McLoone, who is leading the stadium project, “the structure will soon be not fit for purpose.”
Matters are now coming to a head and the club is contacting all the general election candidates in the Donegal constituency.
Earlier this month the club was rocked by the news that it has not been included in the latest round of major sports capital grants, even though the club felt that everything was in order.
However, it has now emerged that the Harps application and economic appraisal has been referred by the Republic's Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to its Strategic Research and Analysis Division (SRAD), so there is still a glimmer of hope.
The club hopes that with political pressure that the Harps project may yet get the thumbs up for the €6.7 million in state funding that is being sought.
Harps’ ambitious plans for a new stadium date back to 2007 when planning permission was first granted.
Site clearance works at the new ground in Stranorlar - less than one kilometre from Finn Park, the club’s home since 1969 - have been carried out and part of the main stand and administration block have been built. But it is now deteriorating.
“The government needs to make its intentions clear about what it wants to do with this project,” McLoone said.
And he added: “If it is approved, we can start work on the side tomorrow.”
McLoone pointed out that a 100 per cent state funding agreement in relation to the proposals had been indicated, and that the project team had been expecting positive news.
Last year, €180,000 was sanctioned by the Department to allow Harps to compete design works on revised plans for the completion of the main stand with administration block as well as changing facilities, the laying of the pitch, floodlighting, security fencing, turnstiles, and car parking.
He confirmed that the terracing behind both goals and a second stand would be developed by Harps at a later stage through the club’s own fundraising efforts.
He also revealed that the club is working on leasing additional lands with the intention to develop four additional pitches and training facilities.
The stadium debacle is now really coming to a head and has become an election issue in Donegal, not least because there is a real feeling that the county is being neglected and is not getting its fair share.
