Ahern: no national stadium for 30 years

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern again expressed his disappointment over the so-called Bertie Bowl yesterday, telling the Dáil that it may now be 30 years before Ireland sees a national stadium built.

Challenged by Labour leader Pat Rabbitte to explain his position on Lansdowne Road during Leader's Questions, Mr Ahern said it was regrettable that a national stadium would not now be built.

"We do not have, and are not going to have, probably now for 30 years, certainly a generation, a national stadium with proper facilities in this country," he said.

While he said he supported the Lansdowne redevelopment and admired Croke Park, Mr Ahern said many countries have further sporting facilities.

"We will not have a proper campus like most other countries do," he said.

"That is why our young athletes go abroad to train. Even the Tipperary hurlers went abroad last week, and rightly so, to use facilities in Portugal. I regret that we will not have such facilities here. We will have two football stadia but we will not have a proper campus related to them, as most other countries have. That is a sorry day," he said.

Mr Rabbitte said negative comments by Mr Ahern appeared to be part of a campaign to undermine Lansdowne Road.

He said Mr Ahern's comments were "not an accident" coming from someone who was "well capable of scuttling Lansdowne".

"It is most unlikely that the Taoiseach did that by accident. Given his record of undermining Eircom Park and contriving to stop the GAA in order to further his vanity project at Abbotstown, I would not rule out the fact that the Taoiseach will be successful in scuttling Lansdowne Road as well," he said.

Responding, Mr Ahern said he had no wish to hamper Lansdowne Road but knew the planning process would be difficult and long.

"I wish the Lansdowne Road authorities, as well as Deputy Quinn and others who are involved, every success in getting the plan through, but it will not be easy," he said.