O'Donoghue, in a hard-hitting comment on the standoff between the sporting body and its member club, said it was "particularly sad" that agreement could not be reached after almost 14 months of discussions. "The last thing that Lansdowne Road requires is a civil war, " O'Donoghue warned. However, the minister said the two sides had to resolve their differences between themselves.

There is considerable annoyance in government circles that, despite the commitment of 191m in state funding, the planning application for the stadium has been overshadowed by an internal rugby world dispute.

A planning application for the 50,000 all-seater stadium was submitted in January and several weeks later, the board of Wanderers rugby club voted to submit an objection.

Despite its location at Merrion Road in Donnybrook, Wanderers has a historical association with the Lansdowne Road site where it has a clubhouse. In return for its backing for the redevelopment plans, the IRFU offered Wanderers a replacement clubhouse at the new stadium, finance to redevelop clubhouse facilities at their Merrion Road headquarters and limited financial compensation.

While the planning objection focuses on the future of the Wanderers clubhouse at Lansdowne Road, for over a year representatives of the rugby club have been holding out for an increased allocation of tickets to international rugby matches at the new stadium.

"There is a difficulty over the union being able to meet their [Wanderers] demands, " Philip Browne of the IRFU said this weekend. "If we have to set aside the allocation of tickets they are looking for, other clubs will suffer. It is sad that one club is in a position to hold up what is an essential development for the future of the game across the country, so we hope that common sense will prevail, " Browne said.

The two sides have met three times in the last fortnight without a resolution.

"We have an open line of communication with Wanderers.

Negotiations are ongoing, " Browne said.

A spokesman for Wanderers Rugby Club declined to comment on the dispute.

Sources said that government officials have made it clear that Wanderers should withdraw their planning objection.

"The IRFU put before Wanderers what it considered a very fair offer, " O'Donoghue told the Dail last week.