Hopes for a fresh inquiry into the Stardust tragedy were in jeopardy tonight over claims of a half a million euro shortfall in Government funding.
Survivor Antoinette Keegan said she was devastated that the Taoiseach's office proposed to pay just €300,000 towards the cost of a review of evidence into the 1981 nightclub disaster, which took 48 young lives.
The Stardust Survivor's Committee maintains it needs more than €800,000 for the hearing with a leading barrister who will decide on whether a new inquiry should be set up.
But it is understood the Government has told relatives the lower sum would be sufficient to meet their costs, which include evidence from three fire experts, a pathologist, electrical engineer and a researcher.
The committee also has two barristers and one solicitor to represent it. "We are not going to back down," said Ms Keegan, whose sisters Martina and Mary were among 48 people who died in the blaze.
"This is exactly what they did in 1981. "It was a half-hearted inquiry then, and now the truth may not come out. "It adds insult to injury.
"We are not in this for money, it has nothing to do with money, but it has become about money. "It's to do with a thorough investigation and it's to do with 48 young lives and my sisters.
"What's going to happen when the money runs out, its bye bye Stardust again." John Gallagher SC was appointed by the Government last week to examine the case for a new inquiry in to the Valentine's fire, where more than 200 people were injured.
He is due to independently examine the report, Nothing but the Truth, which was submitted by the Stardust victims committee, as well as a report from the original inquiry, chaired by former Chief justice Ronan Keane in 1982, which recorded the cause as probable arson.
The organisation had hired a number of experts who disagreed with the finding. Ms Keegan claimed Mr Ahern buckled under a pre-election ultimatum to appoint the barrister after giving him just 48 hours - an hour for every victim - to announce an inquiry or else she threatened to protest outside his constituency offices every day until the general election.
Ms Keegan, who is standing as an independent candidate in the Dublin North Central constituency, was delighted with the u-turn. "I am devastated," added Ms Keegan tonight, as she broke down in tears.
"We feel our eminent legal person \[Mr Gallagher] will be deprived of all the facts and that the full truth will not come out. "We don't want to protest again, we don't enjoy it."
A spokesman for the Taoiseach's office said arrangements for the independent external examination were being progressed as quickly as possible.
"The offer of financial support reflected the will of government to insulate the families from additional costs to their campaign arising from this examination," he said.
"However, official support must be restricted to address only necessary and appropriate costs."