The most serious challenge yet to the Taoiseach's plans to build a £1 billion National Stadium came yesterday from Opposition leader Mr Michael Noonan. He promised he would not be bound by any legal commitment Mr Ahern entered into in this regard if Fine Gael was in government after the next election.
Mr Noonan has tabled a Private Member's Bill calling on the Government not to enter into any further financial comment on the proposed National Stadium/Campus Ireland project. "I will put it strongly on Tuesday evening in the Dail. I will not as Taoiseach be bound by any commitment that this present Taoiseach enters into about the stadium." This would be Fine Gael policy regardless of any legal difficulties that could arise, the party leader emphasised. Speaking on RTE radio, he added: "I'm saying to the Taoiseach he'll be acting very imprudently if he signs any further contracts because he will not be able to proceed on the basis that there will be continuity of policy when he leaves office."
The Fine Gael leader said he would be challenging the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, who had expressed misgivings about the project, to "show the colour of her money" and vote for the Fine Gael motion. "If she's serious about it, I've provided her with an ideal vehicle to make a historic mark in the politics of this country. It's put up time or shut up time."
The Progressive Democrats were not being targeted by the motion, he insisted. "This is very much the Taoiseach's pet project. It's the Bertie Bowl or the Bertie Dome. It's going to go down in history as the Bertie white elephant." Even though the Government was now running surpluses, said Mr Noonan, and while he remained optimistic about the economy, the country was not wealthy enough to spend £1 billion on a project without considering carefully whether it was needed.
He said it was clear "the wide body of GAA people" were about to change their position on admitting soccer and rugby to Croke Park.
Croke Park's development could be completed "with the money that is promised" and it could be used as the national stadium. Post-Olympic experience in Sydney and North America showed that the purpose-built stadiums erected in those countries quickly became "white elephants".
"If we're going to spend this kind of money on sport it should be to get the young people of Ireland to participate in every part of the country, not simply to get crowds into stadia to watch professionals, wherever they come from."