Minister hopes grants scheme can be rescued

SPORTS Minister Martin Cullen insisted yesterday that the “door is not closed” on the government grants scheme for inter-county GAA players and claimed he is eager to secure its future.

While short on details, the Minister’s words will come as some relief to Dessie Farrell and the Gaelic Players Association whom Cullen will be meeting for discussions next week.

The future of the scheme had been called into doubt on Tuesday when the Minister told the Dáil that he did not have the €3.5m which was used to finance the project in 2008 available again this year.