The Government is expected to cut back the national stadium project because of Progressive Democrat pressure and a recognition by the Taoiseach of more widespread concern over spiralling costs.
The Taoiseach will consider possible amendments to his ambitious plan for a sports campus at Abbotstown in the next few months. While the Progressive Democrats are willing to see the abandonment of the entire project apart from the aquatic centre element, Mr Ahern remains committed to a major multi-purpose campus.
However, to ensure it goes ahead, Government sources indicated last night he is likely to consider removing some elements and reducing others. He will examine the idea of removing some non-core elements such as the cycling arena. In addition, the planned centrepiece - an 80,000 capacity stadium with a retractable roof - could be reduced in size.
Indicating that a scaling back is on the cards, both Mr Ahern and Ms Harney said on separate occasions yesterday that the Government's only financial commitment was to the aquatic centre. Both said that further commitments would await the outcome of the review of costs to be carried out by outside consultants.
Mr Ahern yesterday gave his first statement of concern. "Costs have been going up," he said. "We have to watch the cost and of course we'll do that."
However, he also restated his commitment in strong terms. "This country badly needs good modern sporting facilities and I hope we can provide them." Nobel Laureate professor of economics Robert Mundell has asked if investment in the stadium is the proper thing to do at this time and if the current economic climate is the right moment to "open the champagne". "Is it more important to give priority to projects such as transport which have an effect on current productivity?"
It is understood the Taoiseach and his Ministers agreed in recent weeks that a major effort must be made to "sell" the project to the public after months of negative publicity. Next week's Cabinet meeting is likely to set in motion the procedure for appointing outside consultants - possibly from abroad - to assess the project's true cost. As it stands, the Taoiseach says the project may cost some £550 million. Opponents say ancillary costs will bring it close to £1 billion.
Fine Gael leader Mr Michael Noonan cast further doubt on the project's future yesterday by indicating that any government led by him could abandon the entire idea. "I will not, as Taoiseach, be bound by any commitment that this present Taoiseach enters into about the stadium." If legally binding contracts were signed, then he might have no choice, but he would halt as much of the project as he could.
Tensions between FF and the PDs escalated yesterday after Ms Harney gave an interview to the Irish Examiner hinting that her party could leave the Coalition over the issue.
Ms Harney insisted yesterday she had not made any threat to pull out of government. However, asked in the newspaper interview about the consequences of a decision to proceed with the stadium she said: "If the party in Government can't live with a particular decision, then the consequences of that are obvious."
Pressure from Brussels to curtail public spending is also believed to be a factor in shifting Government opinion towards a scaledown. There are concerns that such spending would reduce capacity to invest in politically sensitive areas such as health, and would also further slow down progress on the National Development Plan.