The president of the GAA, Seán McCague, yesterday defended the Strategic Review Committee's contentious proposal to divide Dublin and elaborated on feelings that the state of the association in the capital is a national issue.

While acknowledging the extent of the dissatisfaction of many Dublin-based members, he stressed that the merits of the idea have been lost in the immediate outcry over the notion of Dublin fielding two senior football teams.

"I think that if we have a review committee who find that the promotion of the game in a part of the country with such a sizeable population is not what it ought to be, then that has to be addressed. Dublin's views on the matter will be taken on board certainly, but you can't have a situation where one county can veto what is best for the association.

"And I also believe that the idea has not been given the level of the debate that it requires just yet. I'm very hopeful that people will give it their full consideration in the coming days and weeks and then democracy will take its course."

Initial reaction stripped a very detailed proposal into a stark presentation of two Dublin sides facing one another at championship level. McCague feels that before the idea is debated at Congress, members will have examined it more deeply.

"People have suggested that clubs will be selfish about this, that they will look at it in terms of self interest. And with the idea of the cap on club catchment areas also on the agenda, it will impact on clubs substantially.

"You know, I think that when the reasons for this proposal are given due thought, members will address it on its merits.

The fact is that the market share that the association has in Dublin is not what it ought to be and we owe it to ourselves to put that right." McCague was speaking on the last day of the Eircell Vodafone All Stars tour to Buenos Aires.

"This is not pie in the sky," he said. "It has to be done and will be done. The whole future of the association in Dublin depends on us getting more young people playing the games. I don't have a definitive idea on how it should be done but if people debate the big picture, we will reach a consensus."

McCague said the SRC ideas must be implemented as quickly as possible. "Some of these ideas have already been put in place since the discussion started 18 months ago and my resolution is that we don't talk about the other issues for the next 10 years but implement them now."

Asked about the idea of reducing league football to 13 players on a trial basis, Mr McCague rejected the idea that it was another example of using the league as guinea pig.

"If you want to give something a meaningful test, you must use a meaningful competition. We have tried to use the Railway Cup or winter cups to try ideas but it doesn't reflect the innovations properly. Now that the league structure leads into the championship, you will have full teams lining out for the games. Every game is an important game. And this is not a fait accompli. The membership may decide it doesn't want 13-a-side games. But again, let's debate on it."

The final decision on how the ideas will be voted upon will be taken at a meeting of Central Council next Saturday.

"I'm quite sure that the SRC report will be debated at Congress this year. That will be done, but it could mean we will have an adjournment of Congress or a stand-alone Special Congress if there are too many proposals."

Mr McCague also confirmed that debates with the Gaelic Players' Association were progressing. "Of course we are getting on well. The only way to further things is through dialogue in a businesslike way. There is no point in shouting through a megaphone or through the media at one another."