POLITICAL REACTION: The Government's decision to redevelop Lansdowne Road in alliance with the Irish Rugby Football Union and the Football Association of Ireland should have been made five years ago, Fine Gael TD Mr Jimmy Deenihan said last night.
Welcoming the Cabinet's decision to pick Lansdowne Road, Mr Deenihan said Fine Gael had called for the creation of a 50,000-seater stadium in Lansdowne in 2001, and pushed strongly for it during the 2002 general election, "but the Government, the FAI and the IRFU did not want to know".
A national stadium was first mooted by the Government four years ago.
"Why didn't the Government settle on Lansdowne Road back then? Because Bertie's vanity kept him chasing after his precious Bertie Bowl in Abbotstown," said Mr Deenihan, FG's spokesman on arts, sport and tourism.
Given the Government's performance to date, the Kerry North TD warned that there "is a very real danger" that it will let the proposed stadium "slip onto the long finger".
"We cannot wait any longer for a decent stadium," he said.
The Labour Party also welcomed "the long, drawn-out" decision.
"This decision is the only realistic prospect for a national stadium in Dublin, and should have been arrived at a lot sooner than now," said Kildare TD Mr Jack Wall.
"A huge amount of taxpayers' money has been squandered in the pursuit of Bertie Ahern's vanity project in Abbotstown, where some €157 million was spent clearing the site before the plan was halted."
Despite the Government's decision, Mr Wall said he feared that some key Irish World Cup soccer qualifying matches would have to be held abroad. "It is the Taoiseach who bears a great deal of responsibility for making this situation. It is also imperative that we have further information on the Abbotstown sports campus, which appears to be little more than a face-saving exercise for the Taoiseach."
Though speed was necessary, he said the Government should "not pre-empt or by-pass the full operation of existing planning regulations, and the legitimate concerns of local residents also need to be taken into account".
Green Party TD Mr Paul Gogarty welcomed "the common sense decision" as long as the legitimate concerns of local residents were "taken into consideration in any planning process".
However, the Greens' Dublin South East TD Mr John Gormley said while his party supported the redevelopment of Lansdowne in principle, it did have "serious concerns".
In particular, the IRFU should not be allowed to take sections of land along the banks of the Dodder. "This could be solved if the IRFU move the stadium over the DART line as is the case now.
Taking "valuable space from local residents was not the way to go forward", he said.
"If this project is to go ahead there will need to be a meeting of minds between local residents and the IRFU."
The GAA's decision to open up Croke Park for soccer matches "would benefit both the GAA and soccer, and would put an end to the ill-considered proposals to develop Abbotstown".
Meanwhile, Dublin South East Fianna Fáil TD Mr Eoin Ryan, who is contesting the European Parliament elections, said Lansdowne was "best location".
"With Lansdowne Road in my back garden, I have followed this development assiduously for the benefit of all residents. I am aware of the serious concerns which residents in the area have in relation to this development.
"I will continue to work to ensure that they will not suffer undue stress throughout the completion of this magnificent development over the next four years," he said.
