Bernard O'Byrne, the FAI's chief executive, yesterday dismissed speculation that the cost of constructing their proposed new stadium, Eircom Park, has been seriously understated.

A revised business plan is due to be presented to a meeting of the FAI Council today and critics of the project say that the true cost could be closer to £100 million than the £65 million originally projected.

However, O'Byrne said it was "absolute nonsense" to suggest that the original figure was incorrect and was in need of drastic revision.

In a separate development yesterday, Department of Defence officials answered accusations that they were unduly slow in formulating policy on the stadium.

Responding to a call by the football body to release the findings of an Air Corps report dealing with safety and navigational issues raised by the proposed structure, a spokesman for the Department said that if there was a delay, it was not of their making.

"We contacted the FAI on Wednesday of last week to set up a meeting to discuss the Air Corps report and we're still waiting for them to come back to us," he said.

"We also wish to stress that it is wrong of them to infer that there are no safety risks involved in plans for the new stadium as it relates to Casement Aerodrome. This is simply not the case."