Still Lansdowne to me

WHEN the project to re-develop Lansdowne Road, as a sort of national sports stadium, was launched the estimated total cost of the project was estimated to be €365m.

A total of €191m (52%) of the required funding was then to come from the taxpayer with the remaining €174m being raised by the IRFU & FAI.

Thus we, the taxpayers, paid the bulk of the total cost Yet it appears that the naming rights were sold to an insurance company for €44m to cover a 10-year period and the stadium has since been emblazoned with their name. I have no problem with the idea of selling naming rights of a totally private operation but where we as taxpayers are funding most of the cost it galls me to see so many people promote the sponsored name.