A public row has broken out between the GAA and Fine Gael over the party's sports policy. The document A Sporting Chance, published on Wednesday, envisaged a future Government discussing with the GAA the use of Croke Park for "occasional" rugby and soccer matches. In response GAA president Seβn McCague has released a statement criticising Fine Gael's proposals.

The grounds of strongest disagreement concern what the GAA perceives as the imposition of conditions on public funding should Fine Gael lead the next government and the lack of consultation in the drawing up of the document.

Jimmy Deenihan, the Fine Gael spokesperson on sport, has emphatically rejected both contentions.

Deenihan denied the document proposed to make additional funding conditional. "Nowhere did I mention the word conditional. What I did say was that on return to government Fine Gael would enter into discussions with the GAA with a view to providing the necessary funding to further enhance Croke Park . . .

"Then what I said was, 'hopefully' the GAA in return would allow for occasional rugby or soccer international game to be played there . . . There will be no strings attached."

He was unhappy about the allegation of failure to consult. "It's very rich and unfair to say I never contacted the GAA. On July 3rd, I wrote to Liam Mulvihill (the GAA's director general) to say I was working on a sports policy strategy and that I would appreciate a meeting.

"A week later, on July 10th, I received a reply saying that Mr Mulvihill was on holidays until the end of the month. The letter stated that they would contact me again and arrange a meeting. No one did.

"I made several calls in September but they weren't returned. Maybe they thought I was looking for tickets. The day before I released the document I called the GAA but there was a meeting on and no one called me back."

McCague said in his statement: "I am amazed that any political party, particularly a major political party such as Fine Gael, should signal their intention to attempt to manipulate GAA policy and signal their apparent intention to interfere with the management and administration of the association for their own political agendi (sic) and expediency.

"This is even more perplexing when they never had any discussions with the Association in regard to the formulation of their current published policy on sport and never had any discussions with us relative to their vision and vista for support for the development of sport and its infrastructure, including Gaelic Games, in the new millennium."

Having welcomed the document's commitment to increased sports funding, McCague goes on: "What I cannot accept however is the fact that it has to be interpreted from the document that uniquely amongst sporting organisations any funding from the Party for Croke Park, if in Government, would be conditional in terms of the use of the stadium."