The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism has rejected calls for him to ensure that the redeveloped Lansdowne Road stadium retains its name rather than the name being sold to corporate sponsors.
Responding to a Dáil question on the matter last week, Séamus Brennan acknowledged that the Government was providing funding of €191 million towards the redevelopment of the stadium, but said the issue of the naming rights was a matter for the sports bodies concerned.
Mr Brennan said it had been agreed with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and Football Association of Ireland (FAI), which are jointly leading the project, that they were to provide the balance.
The total cost of the redevelopment is estimated at €365 million.
Labour's spokeswoman on arts, sport and tourism Dr Mary Upton had asked Mr Brennan whether, in light of the public money being invested in the project, he would ensure that the stadium retained the Lansdowne Road name and was not sold to sponsorship.
In a written reply, Mr Brennan said: "I am informed that the IRFU and FAI are providing their respective shares of the funding through utilising a number of funding strategies and these include an initiative to evaluate and ultimately market the naming rights for the new stadium.
"The initiative regarding the naming rights is a matter for the sports organisations concerned which are independent, autonomous bodies responsible for the promotion and development of their sports at all levels."
Dr Upton yesterday said Mr Brennan was "washing his hands" of the issue. She wanted to see the name of the new stadium remaining as Lansdowne Road. At the very least, she wanted to ensure that the Government had a significant input into any discussions around the issue.
"Lansdowne Road has a brand image for Irish sport which is known around the world. I think we're going to lose that to commercial interests if we allow somebody else to come in with sponsorship of the naming rights.
"I certainly wouldn't see anyone saying Croke Park should be changed to the name of a sponsor," Dr Upton said.
The Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company is believed to want more than €50 million for the 15-year naming rights for the 50,000 all-seater stadium. It is understood that an agency it appointed to pursue the issue has held meetings with a number of potential sponsors but that no decision has been made.
The Government knew "from day one" that the naming rights would form part of the financing for the new stadium, a spokesman for the company said.
Dart services meanwhile, return to normal today following disruption over the weekend to allow for construction works on an underpass beneath the Lansdowne Road railway line.
A spokesman for Iarnród Éireann said no further disruptions to services were planned as part of the stadium's redevelopment.