Sports Minister Martin Cullen has admitted that the GAA players' grants scheme could be scrapped after just one year. Speaking in the Dail today, the Minister said that EUR3.5 million had been made available to pay for this year's grants, but that future funding was under threat due to the current economic constraints and the reduction in the Irish Sports Council's budget for 2009. Earlier this year, a deal was agreed between the Gaelic Players' Association, the GAA and the Sports Council to fund two schemes to meet costs for senior inter-county players. The players' body had lobbied for six years to push the scheme through, but are now fearing that it could go. The Minister was responding to a question from Fine Gael TD and Mayo football manager John O'Mahony, who argued that the principle of player grants should be maintained whatever the budgetary constraints. Tweet

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