European Football Championship

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Arts and Leisure – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 3:00 pm on 24 September 2001.

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Photo of Michael McGimpsey Michael McGimpsey UUP 3:00, 24 September 2001

There has been no formal contact at ministerial level, but informal contact has been taking place at official level. I understand that the Scottish Football Association (SFA) has been considering making a bid to host the European football championships in 2008. Some preliminary work has been done, which has indicated that a bid by the SFA would be feasible. However, no decision as to whether to submit a bid can be taken until the Union des Associations Européennes de Football (UEFA) criteria for hosting the championships are published. Those criteria will determine whether the facilities needed require a joint bid, but even if that were the case, there is no expectation at this stage that Northern Ireland would be involved.