Bertie Ahern,Cannot force GAA to open up Croke Park
The Taoiseach has said that the Government cannot make GAA open Croke Park to other sports as a precondition to receiving the £60m grant which was promised to the organisation. Responding to Opposition questions in the Dáil this morning, Mr Ahern said that the legal agreement on the funding had yet to be drawn up with the GAA.
Mr Ahern said that the Government would make the point in negotiations that other sporting organisations should be able to avail of the GAA's facilities, because taxpayers' money was involved. However, the Taoiseach said that both he and the Tánaiste knew that they could not force the GAA to do this. He added that the Government would still have been faced with the prospect of having to help fund Croke Park, even if Stadium Ireland never existed. Mr Ahern said that a memorandum on the matter would come before Government in the next few weeks.
