The Taoiseach yesterday talked up the prospects of a national stadium, while the Tánaiste talked it down. Both denied reports of any rift in Government on the matter.
Mr Ahern said he was delighted the Government had decided the project was "both desirable \ feasible". But, in a markedly different tone, Ms Harney said time was needed to reflect on the report. It would be wrong to "go down the road of no return" involving the expenditure of over a billion euros. She did not envisage the Government would be in a position to make any decisions in this regard before the general election.
"Sometimes we can become so enthusiastic about a project, all of us, that we don't see the wood from the trees," she said.
When asked if the PDs would support the project if they formed part of the next Government, Ms Harney said she did not wish "to speculate now on what might happen in a few months".
Mr Ahern said it would be extremely difficult to get all the work finished in the next few months and it would probably "not be the correct thing to do".
"But this Government will not lose any time in getting on with the work with the national sporting bodies. I think any future Irish Government, regardless of whether I am in it or not, will complete a stadium campus in this country. I don't think anybody would dare not, frankly. It would be reneging on the wishes of the vast majority of Irish people," the Taoiseach said.
Ms Harney said the decision on the stadium had to be considered in the context of all the priorities which the Government had, including the health services, services for people with disabilities, and priorities in education.
The Government agreed to a national stadium in principle some time ago, said Ms Harney, but that was before it had the benefit of the analysis provided by consultants High Point Rendel. "We now have it, before it is too late," she said.
Meanwhile the Fine Gael leader Mr Michael Noonan described the project as a "dead duck", while the Labour leader Mr Ruairí Quinn said it was "dead in the water".
Mr Noonan called on the Government to back Fine Gael's policy of giving every county €40 million for sports and community facilities.
"The proposed project is a financial and sporting fiasco", Mr Noonan added.