GAELIC GAMES:There is still optimism over the current negotiations between the GAA, Gaelic Players Association and Government concerning the disbursement of the proposed grants to intercounty players.

Since the Minister for Sport Séamus Brennan convened the trilateral meetings progress has been made and sources remain confident a resolution will be found so that the threatened withdrawal of players from intercounty activity will not take place when the new season begins in January.

There have been some jolts to the process in that it has been suggested the figure of €5 million originally promised by Brennan's predecessor, John O'Donoghue, would be revised downwards. Also a proposal the grants be restricted to the 90 All Stars nominees was leaked from the talks but has been rejected and is not expected to form any part of the solution.

Interestingly the idea of using the All Stars scheme as a method of identifying elite players was first raised a number of years ago when then president Seán Kelly floated the idea in relation to the then GPA campaign for tax breaks. "We would see this as recognition for intercounty players. Even if they started with the All Stars or agreed to explore the possibility we could discuss the rest," he said in February 2004.

GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell disagreed strongly with Kelly, now executive chair of the Sports Institute, at the time so it's likely his views hadn't changed when the matter arose more recently. "That would defeat the purpose of a general tax concession," he said in 2004. "We want this to be all-inclusive and guys who don't make it to the very elite levels put in as much effort as those who do. A scheme like that would let the Department off the hook."

But the talks remain on track with more than one meeting likely this week and to date haven't required the intervention of the Minister to maintain momentum.

In relation to the overall figure available, a Government source said yesterday with the talks at a delicate stage nothing would be agreed until everything was agreed and that the funding issue wouldn't be addressed until after the structures for distributing it were finalised. But the source believed the total "wouldn't be a million miles" from the original figure.

Meanwhile, the Cork County Board meet tonight against a backdrop of another threatened player withdrawal - this time the county's footballers and hurlers over the rights of senior county managers to appoint their own selectors.

This entitlement was revoked at the last county board meeting and players responded by last week threatening to walk away if the decision wasn't overturned. Clubs have been approached by their county players with a view to securing their support.

It's not known whether the matter will be discussed tonight.

The county executive met yesterday to decide whether to allow the suspension of standing orders to revisit the debate or to ignore it, meaning that - with the county convention next month when the subject won't be permitted on the clár - the crisis couldn't be resolved until the new year by which stage the players' action would have taken effect.

It is believed a compromise offer to begin talks with the players if the "strike" threat is withdrawn has also been suggested.

Finally the GAA have announced details of a new on-line questionnaire which seeks the opinions of GAA members and the general public on how the association is perceived and its role in modern Irish society. The questionnaire is part of a broader review which has seen the association carry out in-depth research among its clubs, players, officials, members and among supporters of the association as well as key political and media figures.

The GAA have held a series of consultations with members at all levels in recent months which included nationwide workshops that sought the opinions of club members (from 12 years of age upwards). The views of major figures in Irish public life were also canvassed and an omnibus national market research programme has been commissioned.

The Leinster Council has fixed the second replay between provincial champions Moorefield and Longford champions Dromard for next Sunday at St Conleth's Park in Newbridge.