FRANK MALONE,
Sir, - I am amazed by the controversy over the proposed Abbotstown stadium and, in particular, the views of Alan Lawlor (September 13th).
It is simply unacceptable today for public money to be used to build what I acknowledge would be a much needed stadium. Nevertheless, the pork-belly politics that your reader refers to is in fact the reason that the Bertie Bowl saga started in the first place and also that the GAA received public money for Croke Park.
Neither of these justifies the Irish taxpayer funding further new stadiums for other sporting organisations, particularly ones with substantial acres of valuable development land in South Dublin. I refer to the same organisation that spent the 1990s watching the Welsh, Scottish and many other rugby unions develop and implement plans for modern, comfortable stadiums.
While grants, subsidies, lottery funds and other means should all be used to help the IRFU, FAI and other sporting bodies to build proper facilities, would it not be a better use of the time and efforts of all concerned to get down to business and establish what level of debt and equity finance (both third party and, perish the thought, from the respective sporting organisations themselves) could be raised to fund a modern stadium which befits Ireland's proud history in their respective sports? Removing the political football would appear to be their best way of ending up with a satisfactory stadium in the medium term.
In the meantime, wrap up and brave the elements at the world's oldest, and most primitive major rugby ground and deploy public funds elsewhere in dealing with some of Ireland's social and structural problems. - Yours, etc.,
FRANK MALONE,
Islington,
London N1.
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Sir, - Having been shown the proposed national stadium site at Abbotstown, which is to remain just that, a site, and having viewed Croke Park's splendid stadium, which cannot host soccer matches, surely the UEFA inspectors should have been brought to Milltown to view the housing estate which now straddles the once glorious Glenmalure Park, the former home of Shamrock Rovers, to complete the farce. - Yours, etc.,
TOM COOPER,
Delaford Lawn,
Dublin 16.
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A chara, - Perhaps if we had voted to join the Warsaw Pact in 1972 instead of the EEC, we would have a Ceaucescu era stadium now. - Is mise,
PADDY DWYER,
Viking Court,
Dublin 8.