Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

The Minister of State is welcome to the House to listen to the debate on the national stadium. While one would have to welcome the fact that at last a decision has been made, and that it is the right one, we have to point out that it has taken five years of wasted time to make it. I heard one of the Senators on the opposite side say that five years to make a decision is not that bad. It is a disgrace that it took the Government five years to make its final decision on providing a national stadium.

When we look back at the history of this saga I have to start with the proposal for a stadium in Eircom Park. That was a lost opportunity, with time and money wasted. Eircom Park should be up and running now and the FAI would have revenue coming into its purse which could be spent on local clubs throughout the country. Local clubs are playing on shared pitches — in many cases there are not sufficient pitches — with no changing rooms. Our local sports clubs, be they soccer or Gaelic, are in a dreadful state. Eircom Park was where this Government made its biggest mistake. We had a Taoiseach who stopped Eircom Park going ahead.