Recent comments by the GAA's president-elect Seán Kelly have refocused attention on the association's need to generate more income from Croke Park. Both Kelly and his predecessor and Strategic Review Committee chairman Peter Quinn spoke of the need to exploit more effectively the stadium asset.

That has inevitably involved speculation on the use of Croke Park for big events in other sports, mainly soccer and rugby internationals currently ruled out by Rule 42.

It is an issue that the GAA's Management Committee will address in the next few weeks. Recommendations from the executive committee appointed to oversee the new stadium are expected to include developing the use of the ground to encompass other sports being played there.

That will only be of persuasive value to Management, which must then decide if the climate is right for another debate on the contentious rule which has survived attempts at its removal at the last two annual congresses.

The financial issue is less about the maintenance costs of the stadium than is sometimes suggested. Sources in Croke Park estimate that the running costs, approximately €2.5 million, could be generated from use of the catering and conference facilities in the new stadium but the major financial problem facing the GAA is the mounting debt, particularly in the light of the Government's withdrawal of €38 million in promised funding.

This has left the association with a debt of around €75 million before the northern end is redeveloped. Even a low-budget job on the Hill 16 terrace and the removal of the Nally Stand would add a hefty amount to that figure.

With debt servicing running at over €4 million it is clear to all concerned that additional streams of revenue must be found and the leasing of the ground is an obvious one.

The GAA is likely to experience political difficulties on a couple of fronts. For a start the decision by the Government to withdraw the funding has incensed the association's rank-and-file - not so much because of the cutback itself at a time of public-purse slashing but at the crude attempts at linkage between the decision and the availability of Croke Park for the doomed Euro '08 bid.

Consequently it will be more difficult in the circumstances to argue the case against Rule 42. Even if abolition were proposed at next April's congress in Belfast, there would be no certainty about its prospects although the backing of Management would strengthen the chances of it being removed.

The second political problem is that Croke Park has already been given money towards the development of the northern end in advance of this summer's Special Olympics, the opening and closing ceremony for which will be at the stadium.

This means that any attempt to ignore the final phase of the development will raise questions as to what use the €19 million - designated for that work - was put.

It is likely, however, that the Nally Stand will be demolished for financial reasons as it no longer represents feasible accommodation for big matches at Croke Park.

With some work necessary ahead of the summer, the debt can grow larger and intensify the servicing difficulties.

It is obvious from his statements last week that Kelly supports the opening of Croke Park to help finance the ongoing development.

The next three months promise to be hugely significant for the future of the GAA's last remaining ban.