Legal advice was being sought last night on the implications of including estimates for a scaling down of the National Stadium project in the independent review of costs.
Difficulties emerged during negotiations between the Government partners because of insistence by the Progressive Democrats that the review would include costings for a 65,000-seat stadium, 15,000 less than the one currently proposed, as well as savings that could be made on abandoning other aspects of the project.
Negotiations on the costs review were continuing last night. The terms of reference for it were due to be presented to the Cabinet this morning by the Minister for Sport, Dr McDaid, but a Government spokesman said it was unlikely they would be finalised in time.
The Dail returns after the Easter break today. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, will come under further pressure over the cost of the project. The Government parties will oppose a motion from Fine Gael saying that all preparatory work on the stadium be "immediately suspended" and that no further commitments be entered into in relation to it.
The Labour Party is to propose an amended motion saying the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) should be asked to conduct this "value for money audit" on the Abbotstown project.
It requested the CAG do a cost-benefit analysis on a 50,000-seat stadium as well as the existing proposals and that report should be debated in the Dail prior to its adoption by the Government.
Officials from the Departments of the Taoiseach, the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, and Dr McDaid's Department have been involved in the negotiations for the costs review.
It is understood Department of Sport officials were concerned that to include the estimates for the scaled-down costings might indicate an intent to reduce the size of the project, which could have an effect on the tendering process due to conclude on June 21st.
Following a decision by Cabinet the Government will put the costs review process out to tender.
The consultants are most likely to be foreign because of the political sensitivity of the project and the fact that any Irish consultants likely to have tendered are already involved in the various bids for it.