The Government is not asking the GAA to open Croke Park to rugby, soccer or cricket, but rather to allow just four games to be played there in 2008 for the European soccer championships.
The Minister for Sport, Mr O'Donoghue, told the Dáil that the Taoiseach had written to the GAA requesting this and he said that if the GAA agreed it would "certainly benefit" the joint Scottish-Irish bid to host the championships.
UEFA, Europe's international football association, will make its decision on December 12th on where the championships will take place.
Most people "would agree that it is a fairly reasonable request", Mr O'Donoghue said. "We are not asking anyone to concede any principle or to accept that one sport might encroach upon another."
He understood completely how sporting bodies had to compete for young people, but all they were asking, "is for the stadium to be made available for four games in 2008".
Labour's new sports spokesman, Mr Jack Wall, asked if the Taoiseach in his letter had "emphasised the urgency of receiving a positive reply" from the GAA.
The Minister said, however, that the GAA congress "must meet to make a decision of this magnitude". He hoped the GAA would give some indication about Croke Park being used but "we cannot force that; it is a matter for the GAA."
He insisted the Irish-Scottish bid "remains the best available option for UEFA". The main competition "comes from the Swiss-Austrian bid", he said.
