The Taoiseach has been accused of seeking to influence Fianna Fail councillors who will be involved later today in a vote on planning permission for Eircom Park. This morning Mr Ahern will give a briefing at Government Buildings to sports journalists on the progress of the rival £281 million National Stadium at Abbottstown.
This update takes place on the same day as South Dublin county councillors vote on planning permission for the Football Association of Ireland's Eircom Park at Saggart.
A spokeswoman for the Taoiseach told The Irish Times yesterday that the briefing was the first update by Mr Ahern since the plan was unveiled.
The Labour party TD Mr Pat Rabbitte, a member of South Dublin County Council, last night criticised Mr Ahern: "The Taoiseach's intervention at this stage seems very cynical to me and I would see it as a calculated interference to influence the outcome of the vote, and that's not really the way to do business."
He believes Eircom Park will have cross-party support today and councillors would vote to back the development. "It is most unusual for the Taoiseach to intervene at this stage."
In July, Opposition councillors claimed Mr Ahern was engaging in a "dirty tricks" campaign, involving the Department of Defence, to scupper the FAI plan to build a stadium.
Councillors said a late objection from the Department of Defence concerning height restrictions around Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, was designed to have an impact on FAI plans to build Eircom Park nearby. A Department spokesman said at the time the allegations were "totally untrue" and that it had received no contact from the Taoiseach's Department on the matter.
Fianna Fail councillor Mr John Curran said yesterday he also believed the vote would be in favour of Eircom Park. One of the planning conditions being recommended effectively hands a veto over the entire project to the Department of Defence. Mr Curran said he believed it was "grossly unfair that the main objector would be judge, jury and adjudicator".
However, an amendment is expected to be put forward concerning this condition, one of 39 recommended by the council's planners as part of the permission. Mr Don Tipping, a Labour councillor, said he would propose an amendment saying that international aviation advice from an independent third party should be sought.
Councillors are voting on a material contravention of their development plan that would give planning permission on land which is not zoned for a stadium. Whips are not generally imposed in planning votes.
In January, Mr Ahern confirmed that the Government intended to build an 80,000 all-seater national sports stadium, to be operational by 2005.