City centre stadium is favoured in Dunloe submission

At least one of the private-sector submissions to the Government about building a national stadium says it should not be built at Abbotstown, Dublin.

The submission from a consortium led by property developers Dunloe Ewart, suggests that a stadium should be build in a city-centre location as this is what the public want. It is understood the group is not interested in building a stadium in Abbotstown.

There were 23 expressions of interest submitted to the Government. Of these 16 were from the Republic; four were from Britain, one was from Northern Ireland and there was one each from Germany and France.

A source in the Irish Rugby Football Union and the Football Association of Ireland said they believed that a privately funded stadium, if built, was likely to be in a city-centre location. They would support such a development.

"Everyone knows that a city-centre site has a much better chance of making money," said the source. "No one is going to get a return on their money in Abbotstown."

Four of the groups which made submissions to the Government met the IRFU and the FAI beforehand. "One or two expressed an interest in an inner-city stadium," said a source.

Among the sites being considered in the city is the former Irish Glass site in Ringsend and another south city site said to be within one mile of the city centre.

The IRFU and the FAI are in agreement that if a privately funded stadium in the city is not developed, they will look at developing Lansdowne Road as a 50,000- or 55,000-seat stadium. A third and least favourite options is to build a stadium on a site owned by the IRFU near Newlands Cross.

A source in another consortium which made a submission for building the stadium in Abbotstown said a site outside the city centre was much better for people coming from outside Dublin.

In September the Government sought expressions of interest from the private sector in relation to building a national stadium on a 500- acre site owned by the State at Abbotstown. The site was to have been the location for a sports campus but that project was dropped for cost reasons. The Government is now examining the expressions of interest from the private sector to see if a stadium can be built with private money.

If it decides to go ahead with the project, the next step will be the initiation of the tendering process.

There was no comment yesterday from Dunloe Ewart or the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism in relation to the Dunloe submission. Asked how many submissions had suggested building a stadium in the city, the department's spokesman said there would be no comment on the issue until the expressions of interest received from the private sector were reviewed.

Mr O'Donoghue has established a panel which will now look at the proposals and it is his intention to complete this process by the end of November. He will then report to the government.

If the Republic is to host the European soccer championships in 2008, the FAI has to be in a position by mid-December to be able to inform UEFA that a stadium is to be built. Any stadium is likely to cost in the region of €300 million.

At least some of the submissions are known to have stated that tax allowances would have to be given if the project was to work.