INCREASED COSTS for the reconstruction of Lansdowne Road stadium were due to the inclusion of additional facilities such as an underground car park and upgraded catering provision, the development company has said in a statement.
The Government is providing a sum of €191 million towards the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road as a 50,000-seat rugby and soccer stadium by 2010, with the balance coming from the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).
However, over the past year, the projected cost has increased from €365 million to €466 million, according to Government briefing documents released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Fine Gael spokeswoman on sport Olivia Mitchell said it was “a little bizarre” that the original projected cost given to the Government did not include “key elements” which increased the price tag by €101 million.
She added that it would “come as a surprise to most people” that the two sporting associations involved, the IRFU and the FAI, had access to an additional €101 million between them.
In a statement yesterday, the Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company said: “The budget of €365 million for the new stadium did not include the additional facilities such as the underground car park, upgraded catering facilities, air conditioning and big screens, as the IRFU and FAI were looking at other methods of financing these at that point in time.
“They did, however, need to be in the planning application, otherwise they would have had to be the subject of a further planning application.
“Subsequently, following a detailed financial analysis, the IRFU and FAI decided that the best way of funding these facilities would be from their own resources.
“Throughout all of this the Government has been kept informed and it has always been clear that whatever additional facilities were decided on, that the Government contribution would be capped at €191 million,” the development company statement said.
Commenting on the statement, Ms Mitchell said: “It’s a little bizarre that we have a major project where the original cost given to the Government, and on which the Government conducted due diligence and consequently committed to contribute €191 million, didn’t include key elements which increased the price tag by €101 million.
“Having decided to increase the cost by almost 30 per cent, thereby changing the terms of the contract made with the taxpayer, there was an obligation for transparency, particularly as it will come as a surprise to most people that the FAI and IRFU have access to an extra €101 million between them.”
