The Tánaiste, Mary Harney, hopes that next week's Cabinet meeting may facilitate the appointing of independent consultants to look into the financing of the Stadium Ireland project. Speaking a short time ago at the launch of a new Stena ferry, Ms Harney said that there was no question of the PDs bringing down the Government on this issue. She said that they had been good partners in Government and believed that a consensus on the issue could be worked out.
Asked if the project may have to be scaled down, she said that there was a possibility, but until a proper review of the financing of the project is carried out it would be impossible to say what would happen. She stressed that no funding has been allocated for the overall project and that herself and the Taoiseach were now in full agreement that an independent assessment of the entire project should be carried out immediately.
Earlier, the Taoiseach rejected suggestions that the project would cost up to £1bn. Speaking at UCD, Mr Ahern said that he was as concerned as anyone that the cost should not get out of hand. He said that this was why the Government was now carrying out an independent assessment.
His comments follow calls from the two main opposition parties that preparatory work on the stadium should cease. Fine Gael has scheduled a Dáil debate, while the Labour Party said that no further contracts should be signed until an independent investigation of costs had been carried out.
Labour leader, Ruairí Quinn, also said that there have been serious doubts about the costs for over a year now and Ms Harney never uttered a word of concern during this period. Mr Quinn added that her supposed concern at this stage was far from convincing. He told RTÉ that Labour would not form a pact with any party on the formation of a Government before the next general election. He said that he stands by his view that Labour will fight the election on its own policies and platform.
