Former Limerick attacker Shane Dowling has slammed the "incompetence" that has contributed to the problems currently hampering hurling, including the over two-year wait to appoint a new national hurling development manager.
The role has remained unfilled since Martin Fogarty stepped down in 2021 after his five-year term ended.
A new national hurling action plan workgroup, with former Mayo dual star Keith Higgins one of its members, met for the first time at the start of December and the vacant position is an item likely to be high on the agenda as they assess the health of the sport as part of 'Áontas 2022-2026' - the GAA's latest strategic plan.
"Martin Fogarty finished up in 2021, why was he not replaced? Is there an answer for that, maybe I should know," Dowling told the RTÉ GAA Podcast.
"Are they trying to save money because they’re saying there’s a cost of getting somebody else in?"
Continuing on from the debate featured on League Sunday, where Westmeath manager Joe Fortune and Louth captain Peter Fortune discussed the state of play in depth, Dowling said that money would not solve all ills, instead pointing the finger at those who spend it.
"I think it’s called incompetent people. We’ve all these people talking about it, but the people that in charge [don’t] seem to do anything about it.
"So as far as I’m concerned, it’s incompetent.
"If you have somebody in charge and they’re not listening to anybody... you have to listen, you just have to listen.
"If everybody is continuously talking about it, why can’t something be done about it?
"Yes you need finance, you absolutely need money no question, but it can’t be all about money.
"You can get whatever amount of money you want and you can give €10 million to all the county boards but they mightn’t have the right people in charge.
"With finance you need support and you need accountability. Money is important, you need to buy the equipment, you need to get the centre of excellences...you have to be able to do that, but then you need support and you need accountability.
"All I can see at the minute is that there is no support."
Back in November, potential plans to exclude counties from the Allianz Leagues if they had less than five adults hurling clubs were roundly criticised and eventually deferred.
Dowling did however say that club competitiveness would be one of the key components in arresting the situation.
"I won’t say that it mightn't be in my lifetime, but we are so far away from getting this thing even remotely close to right but it has to start somewhere.
"The first port of call is setting up more clubs in these counties and getting a competitiveness within the county first.
"This thing could be 20 or 30 years away before we potentially see a Leitrim or a Longford or a Louth, whatever, competing in hurling. It may never get there, they may never become Liam MacCarthy due to population or whatever else.
"But support and finance have to be given to at least try. Somebody has to go and try these things."
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