Gaelic Games All Star tour GAA president Seán Kelly has found himself stuck in defensive mode since Tuesday's deal with the IRFU and FAI to allow soccer and rugby at Croke Park.

After the 14-plus hour flight to Singapore that started the Vodafone All Star tour yesterday, the last thing Kelly was thinking about was pay-for-play - that enduring debate within the GAA.

But before Kelly had time to get ready for a reception at the Irish embassy he faced the touring media - and the only issue on the their minds was the potential €10 million the GAA could make in 2007 alone for allowing soccer and rugby be played on the hallowed Croke Park turf.

The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) are fronting the argument that the players are as entitled as anyone to their cut of that extra income, and that more importantly, the extra income adds momentum to the push towards semi-professionalism.

"First of all, I think we're talking about two entirely unrelated matters," started Kelly. "Tuesday was about an arrangement between the GAA the FAI and IRFU to use Croke Park while Lansdowne Road is closed. Those associations have their own rules for players, but the GAA still has amateur rules, is still a voluntary organisation.

"We've all seen the figures released over the past few weeks which show the money county boards are spending on training teams, up to half a million each. Clubs are stretched as well, while the cost of hurling, etc, is going up and up. So if this money is spent wisely over the next three years everyone will know where it's needed, and it will do nothing to damage the amateur status of the association.

"But it's not so simple as to say soccer and rugby players are being paid to play in Croke Park, so GAA players should be as well. The issue of player welfare within the GAA is already at the top of the agenda for us, and that will remain."

Still, with over €30 million likely to come the GAA's way while Lansdowne Road is redeveloped, Kelly wasn't about to hide behind any pleas of poverty. "There will be more money coming in to us now, there's no doubt about that. But there's a lot more to be done as well. I still don't think the majority of players are pushing for pay for play. All they want is to be treated well, and as well rewarded as possible in terms of expenses.

"And there is still room to manoeuvre within the amateur status, as we've shown the past few years, without actually going down the professional route. Most people I know within the GAA are viewing the thing objectively, and know once we open the door we won't be able to stop it."

When pressed on the matter, Kelly made it clear the extra income wasn't going to go very far.

"Look, we have over 2,000 clubs. We have 500 clubs abroad. We have 32 county boards at home, most of which are putting out two county teams. We have colleges and schools as well. So when you divide it up amongst all of them the amounts are pretty small.

"And we're only dealing with a short period here. There's no way we can start paying players for three years, and then go back to the old scenario."

But as the dust settles on Tuesday's formal agreement to play rugby and soccer at Croke Park next year, and most likely throughout 2008 and 2009, the GPA will continue to press for improvements in player welfare, with the potential for a semi-professional move in the near future. One of the more recent GPA surveys suggested 70 per cent of county players were in favour of moves to go semi-professional.

"First of all semi-professional is professional," noted Kelly, "and I'm not so sure the majority of players do want to go along with that. Of course they'd like to get paid, but that doesn't mean they are rooting for it as the only scenario. There is room for better endorsements and that is the way we'll go. We have to remember the low-profile players as well, so this is a big, big issue that we just can't rush into.

"But I was talking to a lot of the players travelling out here today, and it was the same going down to Australia in October, and I haven't found any great desire for battle in terms of strike action or anything like that. And none of the players I've talked to want see players transferring from one county to another, or an end to the loyalty we have for club and county. So I'm dealing with the reality that it must hold out, and players just want to be looked after better."

In the meantime, however, Kelly agreed other aspects of player welfare could and would be targeted in the coming weeks, including the GPA's own ambitions of introducing an annual Government grant of around €1,500 for each county player.

"I've been helping Dessie Farrell to get meetings with the Government, and we would certainly go along with that viewpoint, simply because other high performance athletes are getting these grants. We've been behind this principal from the outset."

Although it is now open for rugby and soccer business, Kelly played down the suggestion there was no going back with Croke Park likely to become a permanent venue for at least one or two high-profile rugby and soccer matches every year.

"The deal is still temporary but it is there to be looked at again down the line. Who knows, maybe the IRFU and the FAI won't want to come back to Croke Park."