Northern Ireland stadium: The GAA has signalled its support for a £55 million sports stadium for Northern Ireland to host Gaelic games, soccer and rugby.

The association's public reaffirmation boosts the chances of an announcement to develop a 30,000-capacity stadium by the Northern Ireland Office within the next two months.

The Irish Times understands that such a facility could host Gaelic, soccer and rugby games in about five years. Twelve sites across Northern Ireland are being assessed by the Strategic Investment Board, with a site at the former Maze prison outside Belfast emerging as an unofficial strong favourite.

Danny Murphy, secretary of the GAA's Ulster Council, said in a statement yesterday: "The GAA recognises that it has the potential to build confident and sustainable communities as it has done in the past, and in a sports-conscious country believe that sport has a significant role to play in building a better and peaceful future for everyone."

He continued: "In the event of the stadium being built, it has the potential to signpost that sport is a vehicle for reconciliation, respect and inclusiveness in society. The GAA would wish to play its part in any such development."

He told The Irish Times last night the association has supported the concept of a shared stadium since it was first mooted 12 years ago.

His comments were welcomed by Jim Rodgers of the Ulster Unionists, Edwin Poots of the DUP and by Jim Boyce of the IFA, soccer's governing body in Northern Ireland.

The IFA has a lease arrangement with Windsor Park in Belfast but, like Ravenhill in east Belfast, where Ulster play home rugby matches, it falls below international standards.

Windsor Park, located in the loyalist Village area of south Belfast and home to Linfield soccer club, is also deemed by some Catholics as an unwelcome and unsafe environment.

Of the three sports bodies, the GAA has arguably the best provision in terms of facilities for large crowds and therefore the least need for any new stadium.

Murphy stressed his association's support for a new publicly-funded stadium was not linked to calls for government backing for the improvements to its grounds.

He said the provision of a multi-sports venue would not "remove the need for stadium development by our association or support from government".

The GAA plans the upgrading of county grounds throughout Ulster under the terms of its Strategic Plan which it hopes will see the completion of investment designs by 2011.

It wants British government support for such development along the same lines as backing was provided for safer stadiums in Britain.

The GAA's Strategic Review report has also identified a need for a stadium of around 40,000 capacity in each province, and it would appear that the British government's plan for a shared facility would not meet this requirement.

The association makes clear it views the multi-sports stadium in Northern Ireland as a stand-alone issue - not linked to its own development scheme.

"The Ulster Council requires that any publicly-funded stadium built for multi-sports use includes provision for Gaelic games," Murphy added.

He refused to be drawn on the question of a site for any public stadium but did state that the GAA has made its preference known to the Strategic Investment Board.

The choice of a site, the planning process, the development of ancillary facilities and the building works makes it unlikely that a new stadium would be available to the three major sports bodies before 2009, according to one unofficial estimate.

Yesterday's announcement of support does not make certain the playing of Gaelic games at any new shared venue, that decision by the Ulster Council would be taken nearer the time of completion. But it does indicate that the GAA understands that no such stadium could be developed without its support.

Asked if any support for a shared stadium would have implications for GAA's Rule 42, which bans soccer and rugby from grounds owned by the association, Murphy said: "I wouldn't think so."