There has been a mixed reaction to revelations that the GAA is considering a significant rise in the mileage rate as part of a package for the improvement of players' conditions. It emerged over the weekend that a high-powered GAA committee had been meeting to consider ways of rewarding players within the association's amateur status policy. Seán Moran reports.

This committee is believed to have originated the idea of raising the current mileage rate of 38 cents to 60. A motion recommending this is to be tabled at the next Central Council meeting and will be proposed by Players' Committee chairman Jarlath Burns.

Burns' committee has already wrought improvements for players in terms of mileage, but this would be a significant increase at a time when some county boards are struggling to pay the current rate.

From a players' perspective, such an improvement is welcome but not a panacea for their concerns. Dessie Farrell, chief executive of the Gaelic Players Association (GPA), believes it's a start but with some way to go.

"It's very much to be welcomed, but it's still only mileage and we have other expenses to be addressed. Mileage is meant to compensate you for what it costs to run a car. Even civil servants who get a rate of €1.08 can put that down to petrol, insurance and depreciation. There are also players who don't have cars, students particularly."

Another part of the playing constituency unlikely to be overly impressed by mileage is urban-based, according to Dublin manager Tommy Lyons.

"For Dublin players the big issue is the time spent getting from A to B. It takes me an hour and 10 minutes to get to training, but afterwards I can be home in 20 minutes. But I think that there's enough goodwill arising to sort out these issues."

Of course, grid-locked traffic isn't peculiar to Dublin. Players in places such as Cork and Galway have the same problem travelling relatively short distances.

It's not clear how the proposal will play with Central Council either, despite the support that Burns' previous proposals have had from GAA president Seán McCague. One senior GAA official said yesterday that he felt 60 cent was too high given that it would have to be applied to all the officials who travel in the course of working for the association.

One of the wider implications for amateurism in the discussions between the GAA and the GPA concerns the question of compensation for time lost at work.

It is one on which Lyons feels strongly. "From my understanding there is no will whatsoever for pay-for-play, but when a working man has to take time off work he can't be left out of pocket. If someone's paid by the hour, he shouldn't lose out because of the time that goes into playing and training with his county."

The talks between the GAA and GPA resume next week, and whereas there is no set deadline for conclusion it is nearly a year since the GPA's last a.g.m. and the next one will be scheduled for next month or February at the latest.

As is the case in Cork, where discussions between the joint negotiating committee of the hurlers and footballers and the county executive are due to start this week, there is the added urgency of the return to training of most panels in advance of the National Leagues.

Meanwhile, on the same subject, Down secretary Donal McCormack has expressed support for the better treatment of players, but within the current guidelines on amateurism.

"Firstly, the recommendations of the Amateur Status Report, relating to players, must be fully implemented and, secondly, clubs and county committees must ensure that the managers and coaches are being treated in exactly the same manner as the players, no better or no worse," he said in a statement.

"Should we introduce the payment of players at any level it would undermine the structure of our association and would be the beginning of the end for the GAA as we know it."

He also expressed concern at recent developments in relation to the withdrawal of Government grants for Croke Park.

"There is no doubt differing opinions with regard to whether we should make a one-off gesture or not (to the Scottish-Irish bid to host Euro 2008) will be voiced, but I am very disappointed that the Government seems to be using a grant, which had already been allocated to the GAA, as a means of exerting pressure on the association to make Croke Park available."

Meanwhile, at last night's Dublin convention, a Civil Service club motion to change Rule 42, prohibiting the use of the GAA's grounds for other sports, was defeated. Delegates disagreed with the prospect of all GAA grounds being made available and decisively rejected the proposal.

Another motion to establish a qualifier system in the Leinster club championship was passed for submission to next year's annual Congress as was a proposal that the chairman of the Dublin county board be allocated a place on Croke Park's Management Committee.

• Next Sunday's Leinster club football replay between Rathnew and Dunshaughlin will be staged in Newbridge at 1.30 to allow for extra time.

A Leinster Council official said that the plan to have the championship finished this month - which necessitates a further match three days before Christmas - was triggered by the desire of clubs to take a break over the holiday period.