Lansdowne Road redevelopment: The IRFU/FAI planning application for the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road, due to be submitted in the first week of January, has been delayed until later this month.

The application was supposed to be completed by the end of 2005 but local residents objected to it being lodged over the Christmas period, forcing the process to be temporarily stalled. IRFU chief executive Philip Browne clarified the situation yesterday: "We're just finishing it up at present," said Browne.

"Naturally, it is a fairly large document so we are in the final throes of completing it. It's almost ready to go and will certainly be submitted before the end of the month. Then the normal process begins and timescales come into play."

Objections can then be lodged against the proposed plans. This means An Bord Pleanála can hold up the commencement of work on the 50,000 all-seater stadium.

The news comes on the same day that GAA president Seán Kelly stated negotiations were nearing a conclusion over the renting of Croke Park for rugby and soccer internationals during the period of redevelopment.

Kelly intimated the GAA would be keen to operate the ground-sharing agreement on a similar basis to arrangements already in place with concert promoters. That will see a percentage of each gate taken as payment as opposed to a flat rate.

"It is probably going to operate on a percentage basis of the overall gate," said Kelly.

"If all goes well, France in the Six Nations next February will be the first game. That is why we recently had Central Council rubberstamp the decision as we are aware the IRFU and FAI must make their fixture plans 12 months in advance."

The appointed GAA negotiators have met the IRFU/FAI delegation on just one occasion but Browne did stress the urgency attached to reaching an agreement in the coming weeks.

"They appointed a negotiation team and we have met with them already. It was very cordial and quite productive but there are a few more meetings to go. We have also met with Liam Mulvihill (GAA director general) on a number of occasions.

"We can't afford to let it drag on. The sooner we have an agreement the better as we do have obligations to the Six Nations.

"That means an agreement needs to be reached reasonably sharpish. There is no deadline ahead of next week but we also owe it to the other countries so they can organise their various travel arrangements."

The Six Nations Committee meets delegations from each union next Tuesday in London to confirm the dates, times and venues of the 2007 tournament.

As it stands, the Six Nations committee operations manager John Davies is expecting Lansdowne Road to be Ireland's home venue in 2007.

"We are working on the basis that Lansdowne Road will be Ireland's ground for 2007 and are not expecting the Irish delegation to inform us otherwise at next week's meeting."

However, Davies did confirm some wriggle room would be afforded to the IRFU if a switch to Croke Park was required.

"That is generally in the hands of the home unions. The Six Nations committee does not dictate to its members but we would need to keep the other sides in the loop regarding all arrangements so we would need to be aware in good time.

"But yes, we would allow provisions for a venue change."