Ireland was in danger of losing its proposed national conference centre as a result of a "legal quagmire", according to the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr McDaid. The EU would have the final say on the project and contenders would have to meet the criteria set down.
"This conference centre will be a major asset to the economy of the country and we are the only city in Europe which doesn't have a conference centre and where are we? We are down in the courts," he said.
"If we lose the conference centre because we are not able to meet the objective criteria then so be it, but let's not lose it in the courts as we appear to be doing now."
Mr Bernard Allen (FG, Cork North Central) said it was not the Taj Mahal which was being proposed, but a conference centre. Dr McDaid was admitting the situation was a legal farce, he said.