The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, is to propose that funds for the controversial "Bertie Bowl" be raised through the new National Development Finance Agency in an effortto defray growing tensions between Fianna Fáil and the PD's.
The Irish Times has learned that Mr Ahern is expected to ask the Tánaiste at a meeting today to agree that the new agency, due to be up and running by January 1st next, evaluate the options for the funding of the €400 million national stadium at Abbottstown through a public-private partnership.
The establishment of the new agency was agreed by both Fianna Fáil and the PDs in the Programme for Government, and the plan for the agency is to raise €2 billion a year for major infrastructure projects.
Sources said last night that sending the project to the agency would be the perfect way of defusing the current row over whether or not it goes ahead. The Taoiseach is adamant that the project proceed as planned at Abbottstown.
However, the Tánaiste's view is that this is not the right economic climate in which to spend hundreds of millions and that Lansdowne Road be developed and Croke Park be opened up instead. The National Development Finance Agency has been hailed as a "radical departure" for raising funds for major infrastructual projects.
The agency is to raise much of its money through the private sector, and half of it in such a way that it would have no overall impact on the overall Exchequer position as monitored by Brussels.
Divisions between the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste over the national stadium project increased yesterday ahead of a Cabinet meeting today at which the multi-million national stadium plan was to be discussed. The rift between the Government partners on the project widened with Mr Ahern reiterating his commitment to the Abbottstown project, while the Tánaiste stressed that her priorities lay with the health service, education and creating jobs.
It had been widely expected that the Cabinet would make a decision on the "Bertie Bowl" today in advance of the visit to Dublin next Monday of a UEFA team to assess the joint Irish/Scottish bid to host the 2008 European Championship. However, the campaign director for the Irish/Scottish bid, Mr Simon Lyons, told The Irish Times last night that a decision this week on the "Bertie Bowl" was "by no means imperative.