Amid the list of queries put by South Dublin Council's planning officials to the FAI is one requesting that the association liaise with Duchas (The Heritage Service) on "how it is intended to encourage the badgers to move or be trans-located to a suitable alternative site".

This isn't the first time in recent years that major sports developments have faced delays over the question of how local wildlife will be affected. Recently the construction of a Greg Norman-designed golf course at Doonbeg was held up for a period by concerns about the impact on the resident vertigio angustior snail population, while an Arthur Spring-designed course in Castlegregory is currently at the heart of natterjack toad controversy.

What the other cases demonstrate is just how serious a problem the Citywest badger population could become for the association, although FAI chief executive Bernard O'Byrne insisted yesterday that he's "been on the story of the badgers for a few weeks now".

"We're sure that we can resolve the issue to the satisfaction of everybody concerned - particularly the badgers," he added.

FAI officials may be better placed than their golfing counterparts to deal with their wildlife problem. After all, when it came to dealing with animals, the GUI didn't have St Francis a couple of miles up the road, just waiting to be called upon to lend a helping hand.