Croke Park's Hill 16 could be seated as part of Euro 2028

Ireland’s bid to host the games could raise €500m in tourism revenue

Seating may be required at Hill 16 in Croke Park should Ireland win the bid to co-host and minor works will be required at both Croke Park and Aviva Stadium with the potential to create 2,600 jobs. File picture: Sportsfile

Ireland’s Euro 2028 bid to host games could see Hill 16 in Croke Park fitted with seating as well as raising €500m in tourism revenue.

Cabinet signed off on a bid for Ireland to be a joint host of Euro 2028 with both the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park hosting seven games between them if successful.

Government chief whip and minister for sport Jack Chambers has said the projected economic benefit to Ireland if it was to co-host the sporting event would be up to €500m.

The football associations of Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will now submit a preliminary proposal to UEFA on Wednesday.

A more detailed plan needs to be finalised by April, with UEFA taking a decision in September. This could see 120,000 fans travel to Ireland for the tournament.

When asked if Ireland would automatically qualify for the tournament if hosting, a Government spokesman 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.”

Speaking to RTÉ, Mr Chambers said the cost-benefit analysis sets out that the projected cost, including all contingencies and inflation out to 2028, would be up to €135m.

Government sources also said seating may be required at Hill 16 in Croke Park should Ireland win the bid to co-host and minor works will be required at both stadiums with the potential to create 2,600 jobs.

Spending developments

Cabinet also signed off on an additional spend of €3.6bn to take account of all spending developments throughout 2022. The expenditure ceiling for 2022 will increase to €90bn.

The proposed Supplementary Estimates include €852m for Education to cover Covid supports, the public sector pay deal, as well as cost-of-living measures such as enhanced free school transport.

There is €722m for the Department of Social Protection for once-off cost of living measures and the Ukrainian humanitarian effort. The Department of Health got €1.4bn to meet pandemic costs such as vaccinations and the public sector pay deal.

The revised ministerial expenditure ceilings will be presented to the Dáil on Wednesday.

Divisions are emerging between Coalition partners over how to move forward on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta).

Following the Supreme Court’s judgement that the Dáil can’t ratify the deal in its current form unless domestic legislation is changed, the Green Party now seems to be at odds with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on the next steps.

A spokesman for Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the plan is to ratify Ceta and pass it through the Oireachtas.

However, a Green Party spokesman said it is “time to pause”, admitted there are differing views between the Coalition parties, and said the Green Party is "committed to studying the ruling and then considering the next steps".

In the Dáil, the Taoiseach said: “Nothing in Ceta can stop us or can in any way damage our constitution or indeed the values of the European Union for that matter.”