The €365 million redevelopment of Lansdowne Road as a 50,000 seat stadium is still "completely on schedule", with construction expected to start early next year, the chairman of the company behind the initiative has claimed.
Despite the fact that Dublin City Council planners earlier this year requested detailed information on 43 points relating to the proposed development, Philip Browne of the Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company claimed the request was "very much the norm" for a project of its size.
Mr Browne was speaking after it was confirmed that the development company had lodged its response to the additional information sought by the council.
In its response, details of which were seen by The Irish Times yesterday, the company provides legal clarification on an objection lodged by Wanderers RFC, in which the club states that no agreement had been reached with it on the proposed demolition of its pavilion in the southwest corner of the ground.
Accompanied by a letter from Arthur Cox solicitors outlining the legal situation, the reply notes that the IRFU owns the land and the building in question.
Although the building is partly used by Wanderers under a licence issued by the IRFU, it states that this licence "does not in any way preclude" the IRFU or the stadium development company from applying for planning permission for the stadium project. Discussions are continuing with Wanderers.
The company also responds to concerns about the long-term durability of the stadium's translucent polycarbonate roof, given the risk of deterioration due to sunlight and UV radiation. It notes that polycarbonate manufacturers offer up to 15-year warranties for their product in terms of translucence and durability and predict an "acceptable" performance after this period.
The replacement design life of such materials is 25 years, with further enhancements expected as a result of product development by the time it is due to be installed in 2008, the response notes.
It is also "amenable" to pursuing, with the owner of a nearby footbridge over the river Dodder (thought to be CIÉ), the proposal that it would make improvements to this structure, or provide a replacement footbridge.
Mr Browne said the development company had "factored in" the request for additional information to its planning timetable. It lodged its original planning application with Dublin City Council in January.
"We are still completely on schedule, we had allowed a year for the planning process," Mr Browne said. "We now look forward to now receiving a decision from Dublin City Council."
Minister for Sport John O'Donoghue welcomed the response, saying it was important for Irish sport that the project remained on schedule.
However, local residents have a number of concerns about several key elements of the stadium.