Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 May 2026
43. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the progress being made on the UK and Ireland bid for the 2028 UEFA European Championships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32808/26]
View answerIn October 2023, UEFA announced Ireland and the UK as the hosts for EURO 2028. Subsequently, it was confirmed that Dublin will host seven matches during the tournament including a quarter-final. The Government has committed to invest up to €93 million in supporting the event and it is anticipated that the tournament will generate €449 million in socio-economic benefits for Ireland.
A number of governance and working structures have been or are being established both centrally, to cover the joint aspects of the project, and locally, to deliver the games being hosted in Dublin. This includes the establishment of UK&I 2028 Ltd, the tournament delivery company owned by the football associations and funded by Governments and UEFA, which has been operational since March 2025. A local delivery structure is being implemented to lead on the coordination of local deliverables (Fan Zones, Rights Protection, Local Safety, Security and Mobility etc.) and provide assurance over the coordination and delivery of the tournament in Dublin.
While the immediate economic impact of hosting EURO 2028 will be significant, it is important that the event and the Government investment is also used to leverage long-term benefits for football and for the wider community. In this regard, a significant legacy programme is being developed to ensure there is an opportunity for everybody to partake in EURO 2028, and deliver a meaningful community benefit in the lead up to and following the completion of the tournament.
A strong cross-partnership evaluation programme is also being developed to examine the level of success of the tournament in delivering its economic, sporting and social impact objectives.
This tournament will be one of the largest sporting events ever hosted in Ireland and the Government is committed to it being the best hosting of the tournament to date and to ensure a lasting legacy for the game in Ireland.
