Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I join the Taoiseach in congratulating Seán Kelly on his consistent position — not a word one would use in conjunction with the Taoiseach's stance — in securing a situation whereby the GAA authorities can now make a decision about the admission of other sports to Croke Park during the development of Lansdowne Road. I repeat that the decision would now be unnecessary if the Taoiseach had not intervened in 2001 to stop it.

Why is the Taoiseach sending out signals of a lack of confidence that the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road will ever take place? It is most unlikely that the Taoiseach did that by accident. Given his record of undermining Eircom Park and contriving to stop the GAA in a bid to further his vanity project at Abbotstown, I would not rule out the Taoiseach being successful in scuttling Lansdowne Road as well. He said earlier that he could now "do a few things", to use his words, unlike when there was another Government in office. The few things in question concerned the building of a national stadium, yet we still do not have one. The GAA has produced a splendid facility at Croke Park but the stadium the Taoiseach set out to achieve is still a mirage. It has not materialised. Now the commitment exists to do it by redeveloping Lansdowne Road, the Taoiseach seems to be pouring cold water on it. Why does the Taoiseach say he has doubts about the feasibility of Lansdowne Road? Surely it is not because, he said, it is in a built-up area.

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