Minister warns player grants facing cutbacks

Government sports chief Michael Ring has vowed to battle to retain the GAA player grants scheme, though a cut of some form seems inevitable.

The Junior Sports Minister was in miserly mood at yesterday’s awards ceremony for volunteers in Irish sport. Speaking at the Aviva Stadium, he appeared to send out a warning to the GAA when he stated that, in future, applications for capital funding for “shared facilities” will be given priority.

And though he vowed to personally fight for a separate new three-year deal for the player grants scheme, he admitted that even if he’s successful, some form of cut is on the way.