Study recommends scaling down on National Stadium

An independent study into the Government’s planned National Stadium project has recommended scaling down the project by 20%, according to reports today.

The reports says the study recommends that the 80,000-capacity stadium should be scaled back to seat just 65,000 people.

The study says none of the major Irish sporting organisations need a stadium of the size envisaged by the Government.

The GAA already has an 80,000-seater stadium in Croke Park, while the IRFU told the consultants who conducted the study that only an international game between England and Ireland could attract 80,000 rugby supporters.

Even the FAI's now abandoned Eircom Park project would only have seated 45,000 people.

Experts who contributed to the survey recommended a 20% reduction in the size of the project and said that such a reduction could actually lower the cost of the stadium by more than 20%.

The Government had attracted severe criticism when it emerged that the National Stadium could cost Irish taxpayers as much as £1bn.