The Gaelic Players Association has issued its members with a ballot for strike action due to the delay in receiving Government sports grants for inter-county players.
The GPA executive has advised its members to vote in favour of the action which will see all players withdraw from inter-county competition next season.
The proposed €5 million player welfare grant, offered by the Government, remains in place but the dispute centres on its channel of distribution.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Minister for Sport Séamus Brennan met GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell last week but no decision on distribution was reached.
The impasse is centred around the idea of the money being made available to the GAA in infrastructure grants on the basis that the association could then write the cheque for the players itself.
But, among other things, the GAA fear that the grants would breach policy on pay-for-play.
Speaking last week GAA president Nickey Brennan said: "We have no problem with the grant. If the Government wants to pay it out through the Irish Sports Council, that's fine . . . we'll facilitate the payment in any way we can, but our infrastructure grants have to be kept out of it."
Confirmation today that the GPA will ballot its members follows extensive negotiations at grassroots level throughout the country.
The GPA staged meetings in each of the four provinces in recent weeks. Every county squad in Ireland was contacted to gauge the mood in regard to the grants issue and any potential protest.