Plan for 'occasional' use of Croke Park

Fine Gael intends to put pressure on the GAA to open Croke Park to other sports if the party forms the Government after next year's general election. The party has also not ruled out the possibility of building a stadium similar to Eircom Park if their alternatives to the Stadium Ireland project fail to materialise.

The arguments against Stadium Ireland form a major part of A Sporting Chance - the Fine Gael Policy Document on Sport, which was released yesterday. Deputy Jimmy Deenihan TD, the Fine Gael spokesperson on sport, outlined why the party was calling for the scrapping of the stadium and Sports Campus Ireland.

Deenihan expects that the independent consultants' report into the cost of the project, which is currently with the Government for decision, will put the figure at £625 million.

This does not include the relocation of the state laboratories at Abbotstown, which is estimated to be £193 million, bringing the total cost of the project to £818 million.

Fine Gael, he says, differs radically from current Government policy on sport and recreation in that it does not support a policy of concentrating investment in one major project, to the detriment of the rest of the country. The money saved from the project could be used for the benefit of every sport in the country.

The alternative plan includes the upgrading of Lansdowne Road to a 45,000 all-seater stadium for both soccer and rugby. Croke Park would be used for the occasional soccer or rugby match that would require seating of up to 80,000.

"I still believe that the general consensus is in favour of opening Croke Park to other sports," says Deenihan. "But we are talking only about Croke Park and not other pitches around the country. What you don't want to have are two major stadiums close to each other that are expensive to run and have difficulty just surviving."

If these arrangements fail to materialise then, according to the report, "Fine Gael is prepared to revisit a concept similar to Eircom Park with the FAI and IRFU, to be sited at a more central location, adjacent to transport services and other infrastructure".

"We have no intention of leaving the FAI high and dry," says Deenihan, "and in the event of the other initiatives failing we would be prepared to look into a more modest stadium that would suit their needs. Eircom Park was a sound project but we would be looking into more central locations, such as the Docklands area. It has been seen in the US that stadiums are coming back to the centre of the cities because that's what the people are demanding. And we've seen the problems in Sydney where people are just not going out to Homebush and Stadium Australia."

The document states that, if elected to Government, Fine Gael will enter into discussions with the GAA with a view to providing the necessary funding to further enhance Croke Park.

"Hopefully the GAA, in return, will allow for the occasional soccer or rugby international games with a seating requirement of up to 80,000 people, to use Croke Park."

Both the FAI and the IRFU could then negotiate with the GAA for the use of Croke Park for games requiring a seating capacity greater than 45,000. This, they say, would seem to be the most practical way to go forward, in view of the financial restraints that are forecast in the next two years.

"Fine Gael also share with the FAI their ambition to have a national stadium available to them, capable of hosting major international soccer matches. The FAI deserves this recognition because of their contribution to national pride through the national soccer team's success at international level and their development of soccer at grass-root level throughout the country.

"We are also conscious of the IRFU's need to have an upgraded stadium that reflects the success of the Irish rugby team in recent years. Fine Gael favours the upgrading of Lansdowne Road to a 45,000 all-seater stadium for both soccer and rugby. This would accommodate most of the international requirements of rugby and soccer."

Other elements of the document outline plans to increase Government spending from £80 million per year on sport (which, at today's prices, equals approximately £400 million over five years), to £1 billion over five years ( an average of £200 million a year).

Fine Gael also intend to move the responsibility for the allocation of National Lottery funds for sport and recreation to the Irish Sports Council, which will dispense the funds based on plans submitted by the local sports partnerships.

More general principles of policy see participation in sport as a fundamental right for women and men of all colours, creeds and abilities.

The party would introduce a preventative health programme, and also assist in crime prevention, particularly in the areas of youth culture, where investment in sporting and recreational facilities would play a major role in engaging young people to expend their energies in positive activities.

Key Points

Abandon plans for Stadium and Sports Campus Ireland, on the grounds of costs and location.

Upgrade Lansdowne Road to a 45,000 all-seater stadium for both soccer and rugby. This would accommodate most of the international requirements of rugby and soccer.

Enter into discussions with the GAA with a view to allowing for the occasional soccer or rugby international games, with a seating requirement of up to 80,000 people, to use Croke Park.

If these arrangements fail to materialise then revisit a concept similar to Eircom Park with the FAI and IRFU, to be sited at a more central location, adjacent to transport services and other infrastructure.