The Government allocated €20m to Connacht Rugby for the development of a new stadium because they weren't sure the IRFU would fund the project.
Galway West TD Seán Kyne says they were not confident of securing funding for the redevelopment of the Sportsground, as it was not a priority for the IRFU.
The Government last week approved funding of €10m in sports grants to Connacht Rugby, and then topped it up with an additional €10m, over and above the Department of Sport's spending limits.
Fine Gael TD Seán Kyne is defending the grant allocation for Connacht:
"I know what has been funded in my own area and I can justify those based on the rankings that were achieved," he outlined.
"Yes, there are disappointed people that didn't get funding, but they had projects that scored lower than, for example, Connacht rugby.
"I think they ranked this as the number two project, after the RDS. I couldn't be sure that the IRFU could give a (financial) commitment," he added
