McCague confirms Rule 42 will not be debated

It seems certain the GAA will not meet the UEFA deadline to allow Croke Park to be used for the European Soccer Championships in 2008.

GAA President Mr Sean McCague confirmed last night that no motion about the issue was on the agenda for a meeting of the GAA congress this month. Rules of the organisation, including that banning soccer on its grounds, can only be changed by Congress.

It was anticipated that Rule 42 - banning certain sports from Croke Park - would be debated at this month's Congress meeting in light of the Government's decision last month not to fund a national stadium, and the request for a "once-off" use of Croke Park as part of the joint Irish-Scottish joint bid for the 2008 tournament.

Another meeting of Congress is not scheduled until Spring of next year.

"There is no motion in relation to the use of Croke Park on the agenda for the Special Congress", Mr McCague told RTÉ radio programme The Championshiplast night.

"I don't see the issue of Rule 42 being debated as a standalone issue. . . . The rule will not be changed before the next Congress".

Mr McCague said Ireland's bid for Euro 2008 was "building castles on sand" by hoping Croke Park would become available for use.

"I felt that to be sure of everything being correct and in place that it was flawed to be making an application when the facilities weren't definitely going to be available," he said.