McCague confident of new agreement

CROKE PARK FUNDING: GAA president Seán McCague remains confident that the Government will deliver the outstanding €38 million allocated for the redevelopment of Croke Park. Despite the confirmation last night that the GAA would have to reapply for the funding pledged 18 months ago, there was, said McCague, no reason to think the application would not be dealt with positively.

A five-man GAA delegation headed by McCague spent just over an hour at Government Buildings, discussing the issue of the funding with the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, the Minister for Sport, John O'Donoghue, and the Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy.

Though the outcome of the discussions makes it clear that the GAA's planned accelerated rebuilding programme at Croke Park would now be slowed down - and specifically the plans for Hill 16 and Nally Stand - McCague emerged from the meeting describing the proceedings as nothing but positive.

"We were very happy with the way it went," he said. "We didn't talk in exact figures, but we were advised to submit a claim, which we will do. And we hope it will be dealt with very positively."

Minister O'Donoghue had confirmed to the GAA that all funding proposals outlined last year would have to be revisited in light of the Government decision not to provide Exchequer funding for the National Stadium - similar to other sporting organisations, such as the FAI.

"We're happy enough with that," commented McCague. "I didn't feel there was any reason to think that we wouldn't be treated as well as the others.

"They found that in view of the fact that there's no Exchequer funding going into the National Stadium that there's a new situation. The agreement we reached previously no longer exists, and if we were to make applications in the normal way we would be treated favourably."

Asked whether the current crisis facing the state of the public finances would reduce the likelihood of the GAA receiving the outstanding allocation (part of the €76.2 million controversially announced at the congress of 2001), McCague said: "Sport does as much for the health of the people and the economy as other areas, so it shouldn't be singled out for harsher cuts."

It was also made clear that the reapplication for funding would not be dealt with any more favourably should the GAA decide to open Croke Park to other sports. "There's no precondition on the use of Croke Park," said McCague, "and never has there been. That wasn't a factor at all."

McCague also ruled out any possibility of the matter of opening Croke Park to other sports becoming a late inclusion into this weekend's special congress in Dublin, to consider the report of the Strategic Review Committee.

The president did, however, acknowledge receipt of a letter from the Taoiseach requesting the use of Croke Park for the purpose of the 2008 European soccer championship bid, and which McCague would be putting to Central Council.

In concluding, McCague also stated his continuing support for the concept of a second major stadium in the city.

"We continue to support the concept, and recognise the need (for it) for us and other sporting organisations, and we will enter the negotiations.

And we have indicated to the Government that we would be interested in using the stadium on occasions when we would require it."

The GAA's director general, Liam Mulvihill, president elect Sean Kelly, press officer Danny Lynch and a financial adviser Brendan Waters accompanied McCague to the meeting.