Taoiseach Bertie Ahern held out the prospect of providing a national sports stadium in Abbotstown in the long-term.
"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," said Mr Ahern.
"Unfortunately, they are unrelated to the other activities that will, hopefully, be in Abbotstown at some future period."
The Taoiseach was replying to Labour leader Pat Rabbitte, who referred to the "dramatic news" that Mr Ahern supported the Government's decision on the development of Lansdowne 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," Mr Rabbitte added. "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."
Mr Rabbitte insisted that was 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," said Mr Rabbitte.
"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."
He asked if Mr Ahern intended leaving the "hapless Minister for Sport swinging in the wind" on the issue.
Mr Ahern said it was not correct to say that Rule 42 was voted on previously by the GAA. "There was no internal debate or discussion on that issue on the previous occasion," he added. "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."
Welcoming the GAA's decision, Mr Ahern congratulated the organisation's president Seán Kelly.
"Having put over €100 million into Croke Park, which will allow us to see it being made available when required to assist soccer and rugby, it is a very welcome decision," said Mr Ahern.
He said it was regrettable that they did 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," he added.
"I regret that we will not have such facilities here. We will have two football stadiums, but we will not have a proper campus related to them, as most other countries have. That is a sorry day."
Mr Rabbitte also congratulated Mr Kelly, and repeated his belief that the GAA's decision would now be unnecessary if the Taoiseach had not intervened in 2001 to stop it being made at that time.
