GAELIC GAMES:The Gaelic Players Association last night released the text of their agreement with the GAA in respect of the proposed €5 million of public funding for player grants.

The document reiterates the GPA's acceptance of the GAA's amateur status and goes on the detail the scale of payments to intercounty players, which are dependent on how far each county team progresses in competition.

A quarter of the money is earmarked for national welfare programmes, such as player insurance and education, and the rest is to cover individual out-of-pocket expenses.

These payments range from €2,800 for the 30 players on a panel that reaches the All-Ireland finals in September down to €1,650 for those players whose counties are eliminated in the first rounds of the provincial championship and Tommy Murphy Cup, or round two of the qualifiers in football, or the rounds up to semi-finals in the Ring and Rackard Cups in hurling.

Among the suggested out-of-pocket-expenses, which must be receipted, are special food and drink requirements, individual training gear, motor expenses, communications costs such as mobile phones and internet access, personal gym equipment and medical costs outside the training environment.

These expenses will be reimbursed through the existing structures of county sub-committees.

The proposal is with the Department of Sport.