GAA grants scheme remains in jeopardy
The future of the Government grants scheme for senior intercounty GAA players remains in question after Minister for Sport Martin Cullen revealed that he can only make just over €1million available for the scheme.
Under Cullen's proposals, just 600 players from up to 20 of the counties in the championship would be awarded a share of the new total of €1,050,000.
The GPA have already rejected the proposal, which would see funding cut by almost €2.5million, and GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell claims the decision is 'very hard to justify'.
Farrell added: 'It's there in black and white, and that the funding was promised to come through the Irish Sports Council.
'Now we have a situation where the scheme has been absolutely savaged, it has been undermined, and what we want to know is why funds for this scheme were not ring-fenced.'
However, Cullen insists that the money simply is not there and warned that if no agreement is forthcoming, the funds could be redistributed.
'Already I've had other organisations on looking for it, if (the GPA) don't want it. It's a lot of money in the way we spend money on athletes, going in one very specific direction,' he told the Irish Times.
The players group will issue a formal response to the Minister in the coming days.
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