The GAA meet the Government tonight amid increasing signs that half of the €76.2 million public funding pledged to Croke Park 18 months ago is in danger.

In the weeks since the plug was pulled on the Stadium Ireland project, there have been indications that promises of public money to sports organisations were being reviewed on the basis that Abbotstown was not going ahead.

To date the GAA has received roughly half of the amount announced controversially at the congress of 2001 on the eve of a major debate on the opening up of Croke Park to other sports.

Yesterday in the Dáil John O'Donoghue, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, was asked by Wexford TD Brendan Howlin about the amount of funding still due to the GAA in respect of the Croke Park redevelopment.

The Minister's reply was: "Specifically as regards Croke Park, grant aid amounting to €69.836 million has been sanctioned by Government for its redevelopment, consisting of €6.349 million allocated in the Budget of 1994; €25.4 million allocated in the Budget of 1998 and paid out over the following three years; €19.05 million allocated in 2001 and paid in 2001 and 2002 in connection with the use of the stadium for the hosting of the Special Olympics World Games 2003; €19.05 million allocated in March 2002 and paid in April and May, 2002.

"A letter of April 2001 to the GAA set out proposals for future Government financial contributions to the organisation in the context of planned use by the GAA of the facilities to be provided at Stadium and Sports Campus Ireland. It was envisaged at the time that these arrangements would be enshrined in a formal agreement between the organisation and the Government at a later stage in the process.

"In the light of last month's Government decision not to provide Exchequer funding for the National Stadium, the funding proposals outlined last year must now be revisited.

"A meeting has been arranged for tomorrow, Wednesday, October 23rd (tonight) involving the Taoiseach, the Minister for Finance and myself on the one hand and representatives of the GAA on the other to discuss outstanding issues including financial support."

This means that the two remaining tranches of €19.05 are outstanding. Yesterday the GAA declined to comment on the matter pending today's meeting with a Government delegation beyond confirming that of the bi-annual payments due in January and July, the association had this year received only the first.

Privately the GAA are very concerned that their accelerated rebuilding programme at Croke Park is going to be derailed, leaving the northern end (Nally Stand and Hill 16) undeveloped for "a considerable while" and the association carrying a hefty debt.

There is also puzzlement over the status of the Stadium Ireland project, which is now out to private tender and according to the answer to another Dáil question has attracted nearly 30 expressions of interest. GAA officials are wondering whether the withdrawal of State funding for Abbotstown means that the 200,000 spectators committed to the new venue by the GAA are no longer needed to make it viable.

With the IRFU cooling on the prospect of paying commercial rents to a national stadium and believed to be seriously considering the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road and the GAA relieved of the obligation to send a few matches there, the only incentives on offer to private investors would be Government concessions that may prove politically awkward, such as a major grant of land in Abbotstown.

The background to the funding U-turn is the disastrous deterioration in the public finances and a worsening in the previously excellent relationship between the Government and the GAA.

This falling-out was exacerbated by the Government's anger at GAA president Seán McCague's comments on the joint FAI and Scottish FA bid to host the European soccer championship in 2008.

Angered that the credibility of the bid rested on Croke Park being made available despite the rule that prohibits soccer being played on GAA grounds, McCague pointed out that the association had made no commitment to make the headquarters venue available.

Stadiums have to be confirmed before the end of the year for the Euro 2008 bid.

This weekend the GAA meets for a special congress to consider the report of the Strategic Review Committee. A recommendation that Rule 42 be entrusted to Central Council has not made the motions list and it will be interesting to see if the Government uses the funding issue in a last attempt to get an emergency motion on to the clár.