Arts organisations in Galway are to meet local authority officials tomorrow, amid increasing concerns over the manner in which the city's European Capital of Culture designation is being overseen.
Budget cuts have been imposed on key projects and the meeting will hear how preparations are being affected by funding and planning issues.
There is growing concern among many artistic groups involved in the event, about long-term reputational damage due a result of financial cuts, delays and communication issues with Galway 2020.
A survey of 19 of those organisations, seen by RTÉ News, details the extent of the problems.
Information gathered ahead of a meeting with local authority bosses tomorrow shows how most groups have had their funding allocations cut by between 30% and 40%.
Some projects have seen reductions of up to 75% on their original costings.
Few contracts have been signed and many organisations have had to eat into their day-to-day budgets to progress their 2020 plans.
The meeting comes after it emerged that two board members have stepped down, both for reasons unconnected with the funding and planning issues.
John Crumlish said his departure was to avoid a conflict on funding for Galway International Arts Festival, where he serves as chief executive.
Former EU Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn has resigned, saying she could not give the board her undivided attention due to travel commitments.
Both expressed confidence in the work being carried out as the planning phase for the Capital of Culture continues.
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Galway 2020 says teething problems are par for the course. While it says it cannot comment on the detail of specific budget plans, the board chairperson overseeing the company, Aideen McGinley said there was a dedicated team in place to deliver the project.
She said many of the issues being experienced in Galway were common those encountered in Capital of Culture planning elsewhere.
Tomorrow's meeting between arts groups and the chief executives of Galway city and county councils will hear about the frustration and fears that many of those with decades of involvement in the cultural sector are experiencing.
It is expected that the organisations will be consulting their respective boards in the aftermath of the discussions to plot the best course over the coming months.
Those talks will frame how the Galway Capital of Culture designation eventually unfolds.
Sources in a number of the groups with plans to stage productions during 2020 have spoken about their worries that the city's reputation for delivering a wide array of artistic events risks being tarnished as a result of ongoing problems.
Druid Theatre Company withdrew its "Middle Island" production from the 2020 programme this week citing funding cuts, delays and communications issues.
The company is in negotiations with Galway 2020 to identify an alternative project that it could deliver.
There are now fears that lower than expected funding could affect on other proposals contained in the ambitious "Making Waves" bid book.
In an interview on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta today, artist Ríonach Ní Néill said there was an urgent need for clarification over leadership, funding and communications within the project.
Ms Ní Néill's multimedia show Báisteach go Deo - Let it Rain is part of the programme of events listed in the bid book.
She told the Adhmhaidin programme that there was a lack of information about who was responsible and that there was a big difference between the amount of funding promised to the project initially, and the amount available at present.
Meanwhile, the Arts Minister Josepha Madigan has expressed her support for the Board of Galway 2020 and said her department was working with the company to ensure successful delivery of the project.
In a statement today, the department said it was in ongoing contact with the board of Galway 2020 and that it noted the recent adjustments in funding allocations to projects scheduled for the Capital of Culture.
The department said a Performance Delivery Agreement with Galway 2020 was being finalised, to set out the manner in which Exchequer funding would be spent, along with performance indicators for the drawdown of the State's contribution to the project.
