A Fianna Fáil Senator has called on the Government to consider building a 'signature stadium' ahead of the joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
Senator Shane Cassells urged Junior Minister with responsibility for sport, Jack Chambers, to consider the idea if Ireland is to be seen as 'serious' about the prospect.
The Senator was speaking to the Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media this afternoon.
The FAI are part of a prospective five-association bid with their English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish counterparts for a joint bid to host the showpiece event in nine years' time.
An Taoiseach Micheál Martin has already spoken to his British counterpart Boris Johnson to offer his support for the project, which goes up for tender in 2022.
The Government has committed to spend €2 million over four years to the bid with half a million of that set to be spent by next summer.
And Senator Cassells, a Labour Panel Senator and former TD for Meath East, has become the first to formally call on the government to commit hundreds of millions of euro in taxpayer money to build a new national stadium.
Senator Cassells drew on the example of the FAI's failed joint bid with the Scottish FA to host the 2008 European Championships.
A proposed Government-funded stadium dubbed the 'Bertie Bowl, in Abbotstown, which now hosts the National Sports Campus, was part of that bid but was shelved at the cost of 500 million.
Senator Cassells said: “We’ve been down this road before in terms of our failed bid for the Scots, for the UEFA championships for the rugby World Cup.
“In 2030, the Aviva’s going to be 20 years old, Croke Park is going to be 35 years old.
"The public infrastructure that is going to be required for us to make a serious bid - what stage are we at at the assessment of needs?”
“Do we need a new signature stadium to actually swing this from an Irish point of view as part of the bid?”
Minster Chambers acknowledged that the proposed bid is at an early stage but that assessment of available stadiums and their suitability will be 'part of the process.'
He said: “The bidding process is ongoing and any infrastructure assessment will be a part of it. There will be an assessment of the required stadia in Ireland.”
“We expect to spend over €2m over a four year period and we’ve spent a very limited amount so far.
"[It] could be up to about half a million by the summer of next year,” Minister Chambers concluded.
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