I wish to ask the Taoiseach about the dramatic news at the top of the national broadcast last night, that the Taoiseach supports the Government decision on Landsdowne Road. It only made sense on the basis of the previous day's news, which was that the Taoiseach did not support the Government decision and that he would believe it when he saw it. That follows from the previous day's news, when the Taoiseach welcomed the opening of Croke Park to other sports by the GAA annual congress. That was also an odd position given that four years earlier, the Taoiseach stopped the opening of Croke Park with £50 million of taxpayers' money and actively intervened to prevent the inevitable decision being made at that time. That happened just after he called in the FAI and promised his full support for Eircom Park. Shortly after that, he arranged for the scuttling of Eircom Park. He then backed the knocking down of the research laboratories and other buildings in Abbotstown at a cost of €157 million to the taxpayer. All that has ever been built there is a swimming pool for €70 million, the most expensive terrestrial swimming pool on the globe. Now the roof has blown off it and it is not in operation.

What is the Taoiseach's position on Landsdowne Road? Will he leave the hapless Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism swinging in the wind? On 27 January, the Minister stated, in typically understated prose, that this was a landmark day for Irish sport. He stated that we were bringing our national sporting infrastructure into the 21st century on a much loved site that resonates with history, tradition and some of our greatest successes. Does the Taoiseach support the Minister?

Deputy Rabbitte is not correct that rule 42 was voted on previously by the GAA. There was no internal debate or discussion on that issue on the previous occasion. I am glad we are not in the position we were in when Deputy Rabbitte had a say in matters, when we spent €17 million on sports here. At least we can do a few things now.

I welcome the GAA's decision. I congratulate Seán Kelly on what was achieved last weekend. Having put more than €100 million into Croke Park to see it being made available when required to assist soccer and rugby, it is a very welcome decision. Last year, the Government decided to provide €190 million for the development of Lansdowne Road. We used to spend £13 million a year on sport when Deputy Rabbitte had any say in it. At the same time, we have agreed to develop Stadium Campus Ireland and campuses for other sporting bodies. The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism has a programme in that regard.

We now have Croke Park finished thanks to this Government. Thanks to the GAA delegates——

The Government did everything possible to stop it.

Please allow the Taoiseach to continue without interruption.

The Government gave €110 million of the €260 million.

It was the taxpayer.

Yes, it was taxpayers' money. Croke Park has now been finished for GAA activities, including camogie and ladies' football as well as hurling and football. Thanks to the GAA, the stadium will now be opened up while Lansdowne Road is under development. The Government has already made a decision to put €190 million of €290 million into that development.

Although the issue has moved on, as I said at the weekend, it is regrettable that we do not and will not have, probably for 30 years, a national stadium with proper facilities. That is why our young athletes go abroad to train. Even the Tipperary hurlers went abroad last week, and rightly so, to use facilities in Portugal. I regret that we will not have such facilities here. We will have two football stadia but we will not have a proper campus related to them, as most other countries have. That is a sorry day.

For 13 years I have been involved in one way or another in arguments about the plan to develop Croke Park. I wish the Lansdowne Road authorities, as well as Deputy Quinn and others who are involved, every success in getting the plan through but it will not be easy.

I join the Taoiseach in congratulating Seán Kelly on his consistent position — not a word one would use in conjunction with the Taoiseach's stance — in securing a situation whereby the GAA authorities can now make a decision about the admission of other sports to Croke Park during the development of Lansdowne Road. I repeat that the decision would now be unnecessary if the Taoiseach had not intervened in 2001 to stop it.

Why is the Taoiseach sending out signals of a lack of confidence that the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road will ever take place? It is most unlikely that the Taoiseach did that by accident. Given his record of undermining Eircom Park and contriving to stop the GAA in a bid to further his vanity project at Abbotstown, I would not rule out the Taoiseach being successful in scuttling Lansdowne Road as well. He said earlier that he could now "do a few things", to use his words, unlike when there was another Government in office. The few things in question concerned the building of a national stadium, yet we still do not have one. The GAA has produced a splendid facility at Croke Park but the stadium the Taoiseach set out to achieve is still a mirage. It has not materialised. Now the commitment exists to do it by redeveloping Lansdowne Road, the Taoiseach seems to be pouring cold water on it. Why does the Taoiseach say he has doubts about the feasibility of Lansdowne Road? Surely it is not because, he said, it is in a built-up area.

The Deputy's time has concluded.

If it is because it is in a built-up area, where does that leave Croke Park? Surely Croke Park is in a built-up area. Does the Taoiseach support the decision announced by the Minister about Lansdowne Road?

Rule 42 was not the issue of the debate in 2001 and Deputy Rabbitte is incorrect in that respect. Eircom Park was rejected by the FAI. It was not considered. It voted democratically on that issue, as the GAA did last week, and voted against Eircom Park. As a result of the Government supporting it with taxpayers' money to the tune of more than €100 million, Croke Park has been redeveloped. I remember well the criticisms I received as a result of that investment and the second tranche as well.

The Government has made a decision to invest €190 million into Lansdowne Road, which is more than the State's investment in Croke Park, but it is necessary to make it viable. Those decisions have been made. The point I made earlier was that having been involved for 13 years in the planning process in a built-up area — that was the only thing that Deputy Rabbitte got right — I know it is hugely difficult. I spent 13 years between the GAA and residents', community, activists' and business groups trying to get Croke Park redeveloped. It is not an easy process with planning and other considerations. I hope that will happen more quickly in Lansdowne Road because we have already given the money for it. It is necessary to do it. Obviously, the ability to be able to use Croke Park will lower the pressure but ultimately there will be other difficulties. The GAA has already referred to other difficulties, including the playing surface at Croke Park following matches, and therefore the redeveloped Lansdowne Road stadium is required as quickly as possible.

While we are not where I would like us to have been with a proper national stadium and proper facilities, as many other countries have, at least I am glad to see that we will fairly quickly end up with two good stadiums. Unfortunately, they are unrelated to the other activities that I hope will be in Abbotstown in future.