Hi °C | Lo °C Ulster members of the Gaelic Players Association have endorsed the drive to safeguard the grant scheme which has been in operation for just one year.
The GPA top brass plans to meet with senior politicians from the Republic on April 1 in Dublin to discuss various aspects of the grants, particularly the possibility that the concepot could be halted because of the economic downturn.
The players' body is inviting all of the country's TDs and senators to attend the meeting amid fears that the Government will pull the plug on the scheme.
A host of county stars, including a number from Ulster, will be present to issue personal pleas for their local politicians to lobby to have the €3.5 million grant scheme retained.
GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell (pictured) is confident of a big turnout of politicians who, he claims, have been very supportive of the players' plight.
"We're delighted with the response from the players and likewise from the TDs themselves," he said.
"No-one has come back to tell us that they are opposed to the principle of the scheme.
"We have gone on record to state that we will take cuts in line with whatever needs to be taken, in line with the other sporting organisations and athletes.
"But anything above and beyond that would be unfair and we'd feel it would discriminate against our players."
However, there is a feeling that with many people in both the public and private sectors now shipping heavy financial blows in terms of their income, sympathy for the players’ cause may be diluted somewhat.
The players’ grants were acheived after a long, hard battle had been fought on their behalf by the GPA but it has already been intimated from within government circles in the Republic that the grants could be in doubt this year because of ongoing financial pressures.
