The GAA has welcomed yesterday's Government announcement that an additional grant of €40 million is to be made towards the funding of Croke Park.

The money will be paid in two tranches over the next two years and will be the final contribution to the project from public funds. Whereas the timing took many by surprise, GAA sources had been optimistic that further funds would be made available.

It is also clear that the funding isn't dependent on the opening up of Croke Park. Last April proposals to debate Rule 42 (the rule used to prohibit soccer and rugby being played in Croke Park) were controversially ruled out of order. GAA president Seán Kelly confirmed that there had been no conditions placed on the grant.

"There are no strings attached," he said last night. "I think that needs to be emphasised. There have been a lot of things said about Rule 42. Some said that the IRFU and FAI don't want it, that it's not suitable.

"Others have said that we'd have to make undertakings if we got any more money from the Government. But that hasn't happened. The matter can be looked at independently now, not influenced by that particular issue."

The sum of money announced by Mr John O'Donoghue TD, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism corresponds to the €38 million, half of a grant promised in April 2001, controversially withheld two years ago when the plug was pulled on the Stadium Ireland project. Since taking office last year, Kelly, has frequently expressed confidence that the outstanding sum would eventually be paid.

Kelly said that whereas he had been aware of the imminent news earlier this week, he hadn't been certain about the total of the grant.

"Well I knew for the past couple of days but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount. I would have settled for less if it was guaranteed. It makes the debt much more manageable for us and means that we can re-assess our priorities. There's a lot that has to be done from the provision of all-weather pitches to the improvement of county grounds."

The debt on the Croke Park redevelopment currently stands at a little under €100 million. At last April's launch of the annual report, the debt stood at €98 million and interest repayments for the previous financial year totalled €5,700,000. Even a pro rata reduction in the repayments would save nearly €2,500,000 per annum.

Kelly wasn't in a position to cast any light on the timing of the announcement, which appears curious given Wednesday's Cabinet reshuffle, and confirmed that the negotiations had been concluded with the outgoing Cabinet.

"Both John O'Donoghue and Charlie McCreevy said that they'd do what they could for us. I think Charlie was keen to leave office with his desk clear so to speak and without people saying that he hadn't honoured Government undertakings. Whatever the reason the GAA is greatly in the Government's debt."

The undertaking referred to was the balance of the €76 million promised to the GAA on the eve of the 2001 Congress debate on Rule 42, which was retained by just one vote - an outcome seen at the time to improve the prospects of Stadium Ireland being built. But just under two years ago, in answer to a parliamentary question, Minister O'Donoghue outlined a change of mind on the part of the Government.

"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." Consequently, €38 million of the promised sum wasn't paid.

Yesterday's decision finally to honour the promise of three and a half years ago was taken in the context of this year's developments in relation to the stadium issue. Plans for the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road are due to be implemented over the next four years. The Government has agreed to co-fund the cost together with the FAI and IRFU.

"When I spoke to the Government," said Kelly, "they were very conscious of the fact that €190 million had been promised to the Lansdowne Road re-development." So far lottery funding for Croke Park has amounted to just under half of the €250 million cost of the redevelopment, work on which began in 1993.

Grants to the project will total €109,836,000, including €19.05 million, intended to prepare the stadium for last year's Special Olympics' opening and closing ceremonies.