Will the Taoiseach confirm that the Government has made a decision today to build a national stadium at Lansdowne Road and will he clarify that decision? Has the Taoiseach been cured of the Ceaucescu syndrome which the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, implied he suffered from, referring to his campaign to build a massive and unviable complex at Abbotstown that would have paralysed the whole of west Dublin on numerous occasions throughout the year if it went ahead? What will the net cost be to the taxpayer of this proposal? How much precisely will be contributed by other associations or individuals — and who are they — and the taxpayer? Does the Taoiseach now admit that a huge waste of taxpayers' money has ensued from his pushing ahead in the bull-headed fashion he did, against all good advice for the most part, with the proposed project at Abbotstown? Will he put a figure on how much taxpayers' money has been wasted in that regard to date? Are there outstanding contracts with companies with regard to that project and what have they cost so far? What is the Taoiseach's current thinking on the future for the Abbotstown lands?

The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue, has already made a statement today. The new Lansdowne stadium will be a 50,000 all-seat facility. A transparent roof covering the seats will be built on the axis of the existing Lansdowne stadium. The development will commence as soon as possible. If all goes according to schedule it should be completed by 2008. That is the period within which the Government would like to see it built. It will meet all the current international standards for rugby and soccer. The pitch area will of a sufficient size to accommodate Gaelic games. The standard of the facilities will be broadly equivalent to those at Croke Park. It will include corporate boxes and 8,000 premium seats. The estimated cost of the project is about €250 million at current prices which is likely to translate into actual outlays totalling just under €300 million as the project is realised over a period of five years. Approved Government support is €167 million at current prices which is expected to translate into cumulative outlays of €190 million over a five-year period. The major national governing bodies are involved in the project, so hopefully they can get ahead as quickly as possible, because this is vitally important both for rugby and soccer international matches in the future.

As regards Abbotstown, both the company and the site will remain in the hands of the Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited, which will continue to develop other sporting facilities on the site. The only facility built on the site is the aquatic centre which will continue to be a good amenity for the people, international swimmers and those from various parts of the country, but mainly the Deputy's own constituents. He did not want them to have that development, but thankfully they will. Hopefully they will have other sporting facilities as well in spite of the Deputy. The issues of its further development will have to be in line with private sector involvement on the site and whatever grants they get from the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism. That is what the land will be used for.

I would like to take the sting out of what the Taoiseach just threw in there. I was an enthusiastic supporter of the water sports project. As a member of Fingal County Council, I was instrumental, with others, in ensuring it received every co-operation as a sensible facility for people.

The Taoiseach did not answer my question on how much money was needlessly spent on the proposed Abbotstown project. Perhaps he will reply in that regard. What budget has been set aside for Abbotstown? What is the nature of the project on which the Taoiseach stated Campus Stadium Ireland will work? The Taoiseach was prepared to find approximately €750 million to fund his proposal. Many of us made the point at that time that such funding would be better spent on improving the inferior facilities of working class communities and on a sensibly proposed stadium. Will the Taoiseach ensure that that is what will happen? As the Tánaiste has allegedly won that argument, should we be fearful that her proposal to throw elderly people into the cold will now be pursued with greater vigour?

The Progressive Democrats will have to be quiet for a while.

Deputy Higgins appears to support the development, I thought he was saying it was a waste of resources. There was no waste of resources. Feasibility studies carried out in that regard will be useful for the further development of the site for sporting requirements in the future.

The board will have to make its case for ongoing developments. The national governing bodies and groups such as the community games, international soccer groups, training ground managers and other facilities also have proposals which they wish the Department to pursue. All these proposals will have to be assessed in the future. While there were some facilities on the site, they were poor and a new scientific laboratory was required. Therefore, I do not consider that to be a waste of resources.

The Government will continue, as it has done in recent years, to invest money in youth and sporting facilities. I am sure the Deputy will welcome and support such developments in his area.