The Taoiseach is to correct the Dail record next week after acknowledging he misled the House last October about the rising costs of the national stadium project.
A spokesman for Mr Ahern said yesterday he had "inadvertently used the wrong figure" when answering Opposition questions concerning costs.
He had acknowledged this last week when a journalist pointed it out to him, and he would correct the matter when the Dail resumed next week.
Meanwhile, documents released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act show that the Department of Finance warned two months ago that the costs of the project, currently estimated by the Government at £550 million, would rise further due to inflation.
The Department, which traditionally questions and challenges major spending projects, has warned of rising costs since the announcement of the project a year ago.
The Department's second secretary, Mr Bob Curran, said last February that Mr Ahern's Department had breached procedures in the way it got Cabinet approval for the stadium. Last month he expressed concern at "the rate at which construction costs are escalating".
However, a Government spokesman last night again rejected Fine Gael claims that the cost could rise to £1 billion. He also said the company charged with running the project was now evaluating submissions from project management companies interested in designing, building and maintaining the project.
Mr Ahern will correct his statement, made in response to questions from Mr John Bruton and others concerning the costs of the project, which he has personally championed for over a year.
His spokesman said the Taoiseach's brief had used a £281 million figure, while it should have given a £230 million figure.