Taoiseach says stadium will be finished in 2008

Work on the national stadium at Lansdowne Road will begin as soon as possible and will be ready for 2008, the Taoiseach told the Dáil today.

The Government will provide a minimum of €167 million towards the construction cost of the new stadium at Lansdowne Road, the Taoiseach told the Dail

Mr Ahern said the planned €250 million total cost was expected to rise to just under €300 million over the five-year construction period. Therefore Government support is expected to rise from €167 million to more than €190 million, the Taoiseach said.

He added that the pitch will be of sufficient size to accommodate Gaelic games, opening up the possibility for the Government to trade a future additional venue for the GAA against the need for the FAI/IRFU to play a limited number of home internationals at Croke Park during construction.

Mr Ahern said the Abbotstown company would continue to manage and develop "sporting facilities" on that site.

Opposition parties broadly welcomed the decision but criticised the time lost the millions invested in the proposal to site a stadium at Abbotstown.

Fine Gael's sports spokesman, Mr Jimmy Deenihan claimed the decision vindicated his party's policy in supporting Lansdowne but criticised the Government for its flirtation with Abbotstown.

"It's a shame the Government had to waste so much time, and money - up to €200 million on land acquisition and consultants' reports - in coming to a decision. Yesterday was the fourth anniversary of the original announcement about the national stadium.

"Why didn't the Government settle on Lansdowne Road back then? Because Bertie's vanity kept him chasing after his precious Bertie Bowl in Abbotstown," said Mr Deenihan.

Labour TD Mr Jack Wall said: "At long last, after five years, the Government has made its mind up on the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road."

But he lamented the huge amount of taxpayer's money "squandered in the pursuit of Bertie Ahern's vanity project in Abbotstown, where some €157 million was spent clearing the site before the plan was halted."

The Green Party described the decision as "common sense" but touched on the major impediment to the smooth implementation of the plan by warning that it would only be successful of the "concerns of residents were taken into consideration in any planning process".