The Fine Gael spokesman on sport, Mr Bernard Allen, urged caution over the offer by the multi-millionaire Mr J.P. McManus of £50 million towards the building of the proposed new national sports stadium.
Declaring that there was no such thing as a free lunch, Mr Allen said: "I am always suspicious of people offering £50 million for a project through their own generosity."
The Minister accused Mr Allen of approaching the whole issue with "a degree of cynicism".