Noonan wants Harney to back stadium vote

The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, can restore her political credibility if she votes in favour of a Fine Gael motion on the Stadium Ireland project next week, Fine Gael leader Mr Michael Noonan said today.

If the party in Government cannot live with a particular decision, then the consequences of that are obvious Tánaiste Ms Mary Harney

The private members motion will call on the Government to stop all preparatory work on the project and not enter into any further financial commitments in relation to it. The motion will be debated in the Dáil on Wednesday.

Mr Noonan described the costs of the £1 billion project as a "national scandal".

"Added to this national scandal is the disgraceful way in which the current Government have conducted themselves in decision making about this major national project," he said.

"It is clear that an opportunistic Tánaiste is today seeking political leverage on a weak Taoiseach who has failed to direct the control of spending and decision-making through Cabinet in a timely and correct manner."

In an interview with the Irish Examinerpublished this morning, Ms Harney said preparatory work on the project could not go ahead until the cost of the plans were examined by an independent consultant.

She also said that if Croke Park gets the £60 million in grants pledged by Mr Ahern, the GAA should be required to open the grounds to other sports. If that happened, Ms Harney believed GAA headquarters could fulfil the role of a National Stadium.

Ms Harney said the PDs were not making any threats but she said the stadium issue was "a big issue of principle" and they want to get any decision made on it right. She said: "If the party in Government cannot live with a particular decision, then the consequences of that are obvious."

The Labour Party leader Mr Ruairi Quinn called on the Government to clarify the status of the Stadium Ireland project.

"The belated concern expressed by the Progressive Democrats about the enormous costs of Stadium Ireland seem to have more to do with the promotion rather than a long held view about the nature of the project itself", said Mr Quinn.

"They have been silent for months while the Taoiseach ploughed ahead with his pet project".