BASKETBALL IRELAND have confirmed that South Dublin County Council has granted the organisation planning permission for the €38 million redevelopment of the national arena.

The initiative will see the multi-sport and multi-use arena double its capacity to 3,272, with the redevelopment expected to take 18 months to complete.

The organisation say that the 8000 square metre facility will include four basketball courts, a gym, a café, corporate facilities and office space for Basketball Ireland staff.

Volleyball Ireland, Badminton Ireland and Irish Squash will also have access to the facilities and they are among the sporting bodies backing the initiative.

Basketball Ireland CEO, John Feehan, said: “This is excellent news and a major step forward in bringing the new National Basketball Arena to fruition. The arena will be transformative for Irish indoor sport, providing state-of-the-art facilities that will be on a par with our European counterparts.

“We haven’t finalised when the arena redevelopment will commence, with financing a key element, and we remain hopeful of Government support for the project through the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). We expect news on whether we’ve been successful with our LSSIF application in the coming weeks and that will help inform our next steps.”

Basketball Ireland chairperson, Professor Seamas Donnelly, added: “This is an important milestone for basketball in Ireland. Having a new Arena is a key part of our five-year Strategic Plan and is essential to help maintain the growth of the sport. Our registered playing population increased 21.5% last year alone and revenue generated from the Arena will filter down to every area of the game.

“Overall this is also a huge boost for Irish indoor sport, the new Arena will provide a best-in-class amenity, which is crucial as we all continue to strive for excellence.”