The Government and the Football Association of Ireland are at loggerheads over FAI plans to build a new soccer venue in west Dublin despite the Government's support for a separate national stadium.
The FAI has rejected an £11 million offer made two weeks ago by the Minister for Tourism Sport and Recreation, Dr McDaid, for investment in club grounds in return for the FAI's abandonment of its planned stadium project. Supporters of a national stadium fear the development of the alternative FAI venue would undermine their project.
However, the FAI announced yesterday it intends to go ahead with plans for a 45,000-seater stadium in west Dublin to be built by the end of 2001, at a projected cost of £65 million. The association also announced the largest sponsorship deal in Irish sporting history, with Telecom Eireann putting £18 million into Irish soccer. This includes £11 million to buy the naming rights for the new venue, planned for the CityWest Business Park off the Naas Road.
The FAI's plan is likely to cause the Government serious concern when it discusses the national stadium proposal strongly supported by the Taoiseach in the autumn. The Government has commissioned a feasibility study for a national stadium with an 80,000 capacity for which businessmen Mr J.P. McManus and Mr Dermot Desmond have pledged substantial support. The Government has also set up a committee to examine the proposal, which is due to report to the Cabinet in September.
Two weeks ago, Dr McDaid said more than £11 million could be made available to FAI soccer clubs for ground improvements if the association abandoned its stadium project and supported the scheme favoured by Mr Ahern for an 80,000 seater multi-sports stadium.
However, the FAI yesterday repeated its determination to build its own facility. Its chief executive, Mr Bernard O'Byrne, told a press conference the project would be financially viable without any State aid, as it had received "overwhelming support" from the business community.
Telecom Eireann is to invest £18 million in Irish soccer over the next 10 years, with £11 million going to the new stadium, £6 million to sponsorship of the international soccer teams for 10 years from 2002 and £1 million in sponsorship of the national league, to begin next month.
A spokesman for Dr McDaid said last night the Minister has always said it was up to the FAI and other sporting governing bodies to make decisions on how their own sport should be run.
He said Dr McDaid had put forward what he felt was a sensible suggestion that the proposed 80,000-seater national stadium would cater superbly for the international aspects of the game while freeing more resources for the development of the game at grassroots.