Government decides not to back the building of the national stadium for sport.
Following a meeting between Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Tánaiste Mary Harney, and a full cabinet meeting, it was decided that no state funding would be put into the construction of the national stadium.
The government is to seek private investors to push ahead with the project.
There is still no clarity on the size of the planned stadium. The Taoiseach explained that the state simply did not have the money to pay for his "pet project". Bertie Ahern is still optimistic that a stadium will be built.
Opposition parties claim the Taoiseach's plans were in tatters. Fine Gael TD Jimmy Deenihan and Labour Party TD Pat Rabbitte are both critical of the Taoiseach and the government plans. Pat Rabbitte described it as a bad day for the Taoiseach but a good day for the tax payer.
Next Friday, advertisement will be placed in the newspapers seeking expressions of interest in building the stadium at Abbotstown. It remains to be seen if anyone will see it as a viable economic prospect.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 10 September 2002. The reporter is David McCullagh.
