The Green Party has claimed Attorney General Mr Michael McDowell’s controversial comments on Stadium Ireland are political opportunism.
Green Party TD Mr Gormley, who is standing against Mr McDowell in the Dublin South East constituency, said the Progressive Democrats (PDs) have "spent their time fudging on the issue while trying to give the impression that they were totally opposed to the project".
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Fianna Fáil have also responded to Mr McDowell’s description of the project as a "Ceausescu-era project". The Taoiseach echoed Mr Gormley’s view, saying Mr McDowell was electioneering.
Mr McDowell had said it was "politically immoral" to proceed with the project and that hospitals and schools would not be built if the project went ahead. Mr Gormley countered today: "I cannot believe that Michael McDowell can have the bare-faced cheek to come out with comments like this. What has he being doing for the last few years?"
Mr Gormley said: "We have always seen the Bertie Bowl as a scandalous waste of public money. As far as we are concerned this project will not go ahead if we form part of any coalition government".
Mr Gormley said the PDs have still not declared whether the project would be an obstacle to coalition despite Mr McDowell’s remarks.
He said despite Mr McDowell’s damning description of the project, his colleague, Ms Liz O’Donnell, was less than equivocal in her view when she said the PDs did not rule out the project but that it was not a priority.
Mr Gormley also criticised the media’s "fawning treatment" of Mr McDowell's candidacy and the amount of coverage given to the PD campaign.