GAELIC GAMES:Despite a massive vote by players in favour of withdrawing from intercounty activity in the new year, hopes remain high that ongoing talks between the Gaelic Players Association (GPA), Government and GAA can resolve the core issue of player grants.

Of the 1,348 (71.6 per cent of electorate) who took part in the ballot, 95 per cent voted to follow the recommendation of the GPA executive that the strike should take place if the payment of grants was not finalised by the end of the year.

The action would take the form of a refusal to play any inter-county fixtures in the 2008 season, although panels would continue training and playing with their clubs.

A Government spokesperson reacted to the news of the vote by expressing optimism the Minister for Sport, Séamus Brennan, would be able to resolve the issue. "The three-way talks have been convened and are continuing," he said. "The Minister remains confident that a solution can be found in the very near future."

At yesterday's media conference in Dublin to announce the result of the ballot, which was attended by GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell, chair Donal Cusack and secretary Kieran McGeeney, Farrell outlined the objectives of the action, saying the paying of the grants was "a huge credibility issue" for the GPA: "Green lighting (the grants) is important at this stage because there's been broken promise after broken promise despite there being massive cross-party political will."

He added he felt on the evidence of the meetings with the Department and the GAA there was now a desire on all sides to see the matter resolved: "The three of us have all been involved in these meetings and we accept the bona fides of all parties."

He also said he believed Minister Brennan "genuinely wants a resolution".

In a cautious reaction the GAA regretted the decision and emphasised that though the association had had no role in devising the grant scheme it had supported the proposal but reiterated its opposition to the means of disbursement suggested by the Minister's predecessor, John O'Donoghue - that of diverting additional capital funding allocated to the association.

"The concept of grants for players was a GPA and Government initiative and it is a matter for these bodies to resolve," ran the statement issued yesterday afternoon. "However, the GAA has had a series of meetings in recent weeks with both bodies and is fully committed to playing a meaningful part in reaching a resolution acceptable to all parties. Further talks have been scheduled for next week and no further statement will be made in the meantime."

The statement added that the GAA accepted "full responsibility for player welfare, which it sees as a fundamentally different issue (from) that of grants. Over €20 million will be expended by the association on intercounty players in the current year."

Commenting on concerns that the grants represented the "slippery slope" towards pay for play, Farrell denied that this was on the GPA agenda.

"We put that argument to bed very clearly last year at our egm," he said. "It's still being bandied about, which is questioning our integrity up here at the top table.

"Pay for play is not an issue. We work on a democratic basis and at any stage in the next 20 or 30 years if the GPA is still in business and the players turn around and say we want to vote for semi-professionalism then we need to look at it and the GAA need to look at it as well.

"But pay for play won't be driven from the GPA for as long as we're mandated to do what we've been doing.

"When did the slippery slope really begin? It possibly began with the first paid administrator in the GAA. I'm one myself and it's important to have full-time administrators so I'm not condemning these sort of initiatives - paid administrators, paid coaches, paid managers, paid support staff for teams, corporate boxes, the advent of logos and sponsored jerseys, ticket prices and the whole hospitality thing that goes on around it, TV broadcasting rights. They could be seen to be the beginning of the slippery slope so why all of a sudden just because players are looking for a grant is it the beginning of the slippery slope?"

Reaction: what the parties said

"The three-way talks have been convened and are continuing. The Minister remains confident that a solution can be found in the very near future."

- Government spokesperson

"The GPA believes that a resolution can be found in the interim and accepts the genuine commitment being made by the other two parties to this process. However, while there is optimism, we remain resolute that we will carry out our strike action should the impasse continue indefinitely."

- GPA statement

"The concept of grants for players was a GPA and Government initiative and it is a matter for these bodies to resolve. However, the GAA has had a series of meetings in recent weeks with both bodies and is fully committed to playing a meaningful part in reaching a resolution."

- GAA statement

GPA strike ballot

Total membership balloted: 1,881

Total ballots returned: 1,348

Total valid poll: 1,339

Yes: 1,281

No: 58

Spoiled votes: 9