The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) has not been consulted "in any shape or form" about the proposed Sports Campus Ireland, its president has told an Oireachtas committee.
Mr Pat Hickey said he found it strange that the council's views had not been sought on the Abbotstown plan, "because we're the experts on the Olympics in Ireland".
It was doubly surprising because there were "a lot of consultants making a lot of money" from the project, he added.
Mr Hickey was addressing the Joint Committee on Tourism, Sport and Recreation. He told members that the OCI was in favour of "every bit of infrastructure" for sports because, when representing Ireland abroad, he was constantly ashamed about our lack of facilities.
But the OCI had been "left out of the loop" on the sports campus. "We know nothing except what we read in the papers," he added.
The general secretary of the OCI, Mr Dermot Sherlock, told the committee the proposed athletics track would probably not meet the standards of the Olympics or world championships. What was planned was a removable running track, and no major games were granted to a stadium with anything less than a permanent track, he said.
Reviewing Ireland's participation in the Sydney Olympics, Mr Hickey defended the OCI on the issue of accreditation. It was unfortunate that the Minister for Sport had insisted over a period of time on extra representation, but the council was subject to the International Olympic Council's rules, and the accreditation of Mr McDaid and two others was his full entitlement, he said.
Mr Brendan Kenneally TD (FF) accused Mr Hickey of "washing his hands" of the Irish team's performance at Sydney.
Mr Hickey replied that it was a matter of fact that the job of preparing the team had been taken from the council by the last minister for sport, and thereafter became the responsibility of the Minister and the Irish Sports Council.
He also rejected Mr Kenneally's suggestion that the OCI appeared to be "in conflict with everybody" and that this was not helping athletes. Mr Hickey said it was an "old red herring of the media" that the council was permanently warring. But if it disagreed with the Minister over something and did not do his bidding, he added, "so what?". It was an independent, democratic body and it did not have a craven attitude towards government.
