GAA sponsors have rejected a call from the Ulster Democratic Party to withdraw their support from the sporting body after its decision to retain "Rule 21".
The UDP had written to Bank of Ireland and Guinness calling for an end to their sponsorship of the All-Ireland football and hurling championships because of the rule, which bans RUC officers from membership of the GAA.
The Bank of Ireland has already sent a reply which states: "as an all-Ireland institution, (it) is anxious to support any development which will advance the peace process and remove divisions in society. However, we believe it would be improper to use our commercial relationship with the GAA or any other organisation which we sponsor to influence policy or interfere with any such organisation's internal democratic process."
A spokesman for Guinness said it had received a letter and confirmed it would not accede to the demand. "Our position is that we sponsor a specific event. That does not enable us to affect the internal decisions of the GAA."
The UDP also wrote to Bass Ireland, which sponsors an Ulster GAA award scheme and annual banquet. In a statement, the company said it had received a letter and was considering a response.
Mr David Adams of the UDP said the companies should reconsider their positions not only because of the discriminatory nature of "Rule 21" but because of the GAA's recent decision "to link any change in the rule with political developments in Northern Ireland".
He said the GAA had made clear "the only time it would move on the issue is when something happens in the political process. That is totally unacceptable: that a organisation has one foot in the political camp and another in the sporting arena."
Mr Adams said he was seeking a meeting with the sponsors to ask them to justify their involvement with the GAA. He also called on members of the sporting body who "are highly embarrassed by the decision to continue to lobby within the organisation for change".
The Derry-based Pat Finucane Centre criticised the UDP's intervention on the "Rule 21" issue. A spokesman for the rights group said the UDP "should maintain a shameful silence" on the GAA in view of its links with the UDA/ UFF, which has been responsible for targeting members of the association in the past.
