Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson has called for "more action" on the delayed sub-regional stadia funding programme.
The NI Executive allocated £36m back in 2015, with £10m earmarked for the redevelopment of Glentoran's Oval stadium.
A second strand of £17m was allocated for other Irish Premiership clubs who could host fixtures with a 5,000 capacity, while Championship clubs were set to receive a total of £3m.
A further £3m was to be put towards "a single high quality facility" for intermediate and junior football, with a similar value set aside for a national training centre to "support current talent and nurture future generations".
Speaking last September, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey said she remained hopeful of delivering the funding package "in the short time ahead".
Improving football facilities in Northern Ireland forms one of the seven 'pillars' included in the Irish FA's new five-year corporate strategy.
And chief executive Nelson says the release of funding is long overdue.
"We are dependent on the Northern Ireland Executive on this one," Nelson said.
"It is now 11 years since (then Sports Minister) Nelson McCausland announced the funding for the three regional stadia., two of which have been built and Casement which is still to be built.
"And attached to that was sub-regional funding and we have never been able to completely unlock that funding. But our grounds need it.
"Our people need it, football needs it. We are not the only people saying this. I know for example my colleague Gerard Lawlor at NIFL (NI Football League) has come out strongly recently and said that football funding needs to be unlocked.
"That's why we are completely behind it and that's why we have included it in the strategy as well."
Nelson added: "We have lobbied (First Minister) Paul Givan, (Communities Minister) Deirdre Hargey, the senior civil servants within the Department for Communities which is where that funding seems to be locked in a safe at this point.
"And we get the strong message that they are all still very committed to it.
"Being committed is great, we appreciate that. We would actually appreciate a bit more action though.
"And if you look at New Decade, New Approach, which is two years old this month, it is sitting there on page three of that document.
"It is not something the Executive has forgotten about. We do speak to them regularly on it, but we just haven't found the key to the safe yet."
