Minister for Sport Shane Ross has said emergency legislation may be needed to ensure Ireland can continue to bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
In a letter to the Oireachtas committee on Transport, Mr Ross said he will need to pass a Bill by the summer recess to support our attempt to host the tournament.
Mr Ross said his advice from the Attorney General Maire Whelan insisting legislation must be passed urgently to ensure specific guarantees from the organising body can be provided.
Mr Ross said: “The draft guarantees to be provided by the State to support the staging of the tournament were received from the Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) on April 7.
“After consideration of the vires of the Minister, the Office of the Attorney General advised on May 4 that express statutory authority through the passing of primary legislation is necessary for a Minister to provide the necessary guarantees.”
Ireland is one of three countries currently in the running - alongside France and South Africa - but is the only one to have not yet hosted the event.
Mr Ross said the event would prove very beneficial to the entire economy and the sporting sector in this country.
He stressed the need to have legislation passed by the Oireachtas by the summer recess to ensure the bid remains on track.
The Minister said: “Given the urgency of the legislation, I have asked the House Business Committee not to refer the Bill to the Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport to move instead to drafting by the Office of the Parliamentary Draughtsmen.
“ I trust you understand the reason for this approach is to do everything in my power to secure passage of this vital piece of legislation in an extremely constrained time period.”
