Lansdowne stadium plans unveiled

Fully covered seating and pedestrian walkways under the railway line would be among the features of a new Lansdowne Road stadium, according to plans presented yesterday by the FAI and the IRFU.

The two sporting bodies envisage a completely new arena with 50,000 seats, incorporating three-tiered structures in place of the existing East and West Stands, and single-tiered stands at either end of the pitch.

A "sweeping, translucent roof" would help to make the venue "a significant aesthetic improvement" on the existing structure, the organisations say.

But they also insist that a priority of the design was to minimise the impact of the development on local residents.

The publication of the plans is clearly designed to nudge the Government closer to a decision in favour of Lansdowne when, as is expected, the Minister for Sport, Mr John O'Donoghue brings the issue to Cabinet next week. Speaking earlier this week, Mr O'Donoghue said he had completed his memo for Government and it was now "make your mind up time".

He added: "We have invested an awful lot of time and energy on this issue over the last 18 months. The time for committees and reports and sub-committees and so on is over. We have enough information."

A spokesman for Mr O'Donoghue declined to comment last night on what recommendation the Minister would make.

But the Tánaiste supports the development of Lansdowne Road, and the Taoiseach, who had earlier favoured a new stadium at Abbotstown, has said he is not "hung up" on the location.

Despite this and their decision to spend a "significant" five-figure sum on producing a stadium design, however, the two sports organisations are still taking nothing for granted.

"There have been so many twists and turns in this saga that nobody can be confident of anything," an IRFU spokesman said. "In golfing terms, we have the 'yips'."

A key factor in the plan is that work on the stadium could proceed without disruption to the DART and suburban rail services on the line that currently runs under the West Stand.

The new venue would be pushed away from the line, while retaining its north-south axis. As a bonus, it would benefit from easier and safer access for pedestrians, thanks to subterranean walkways under the railway.

Until now, fans entering and leaving the stadium and travelling towards the city centre via Lansdowne Road have always had to cross the railway.

Crowds are also intermittently held up at the barriers to facilitate the passage of trains.

The estimated cost of the new facility is €250 million, of which the IRFU and FAI would contribute €83 million.

With some €84 million of the total cost expected to return to the Exchequer in PAYE, PRSI, and VAT, the organisations put the net cost to the State at only €83 million.

The chief executive of the IRFU, Mr Philip Browne, called on the Government to back the Lansdowne Road option, saying that "both rugby and soccer fans deserve this vote of confidence".

His FAI counterpart, Mr Fran Rooney, said the economic benefits to the State would "more than justify the investment of public funds".

He added: "More importantly, over the longer term, we will improve the underlying health of the nation through taking soccer and rugby participants to new heights of achievement at every level of our two sports."