The last thing Lansdowne Road needed was a sporting "civil war", Minister for Sport John O'Donoghue told the Dáil. It was "particularly sad" he said that agreement could not be reached between the IRFU and the Wanderers rugby club.
Discussions have been ongoing between the two in a dispute over the stadium's redevelopment and the Minister said it was a matter for the two parties.
Fine Gael spokesman Jimmy Deenihan expressed concern that Wanderers might engage in a planning permission battle. Mr O'Donoghue said a "civil war" was the last thing the stadium needed. Earlier he told Martin Ferris (SF, Kerry North) that it would be the "height of pessimism" to have a "plan B" now, in case planning permission was not granted. "I remain positive about the planning permission," he said. If the redevelopment did not proceed "consideration will have to be given to an alternative. It may well be the alternative will be a return to Abbotstown or somewhere else."
Mr Ferris said there should be a plan B because "it would be ridiculous if we had to restart the process of developing a national stadium in 2009, or perhaps later, owing to probable action in the courts".
