Letter key to Eircom go-ahead

The FAI looks certain to receive planning permission for Eircom Park at Monday's meeting of South Dublin County Council although one of the conditions being recommended will effectively hand a veto over the entire project to the Department of Defence.

Under the conditions, which councillors are being asked to impose on the association as part of the permission, a letter would have to be obtained from the Department making it clear that all of the objections raised had been adequately dealt with.

Given the difficult relationship between the FAI and the Department of Defence that requirement could prevent the FAI proceeding with the project and force the organisation into an appeal to An Bord Pleanala.

The council's planners have recommended that 39 conditions be attached to the granting of planning permission which would be given if the council votes to sanction a "material contravention" of the county plan.

A total of 19 of the 26 councillors are required to support the move and while it appears that the numbers are there for the FAI with support from councillors of all parties for the stadium there are serious doubts about whether a sufficient number will support the removal of the 31st condition - the one requiring the letter.

A number of those contacted by the Irish Times yesterday said they would support its deletion with some feeling that the safety issue had already been addressed. Others indicated that the inevitability of an ala appeal would ensure that the issue would be dealt with later. "I think the fact that it will be appealed, no matter what the outcome is on Monday, means that the issue will be assessed professionally and in a way that we, as councillors, are simply not equipped to do," said Labour TD, Pat Rabitte. But Sinn Fein's Mark Daly, while prepared to vote for the project with the clause, insisted such a line is an abdication of the council's responsibility. "It's no way to run a council, to say "well let's move this along down the line, take the acclaim and let someone else deal with the problem". It's our decision to make and we should make it."

Some councillors expressed the opinion, however, that by including the clause and handing a veto to the Department they were effectively "passing the buck" anyway. Because of this a considerable number appear to favour removing the clause but whether the required majority would back such a move is questionable.

Other conditions set to be imposed are the payment of a levy - believed to be over £3 million - to the council, a ban on events starting earlier than 7.45 p.m. on weekdays and a requirement that planning permission for Park and Ride facilities be obtained before work on the stadium commences.

Of these the last would be the most problematic for the association as it would further delay a project that is already a year behind schedule.