THE CASH-STRAPPED government should not pay grants to inter-county GAA stars while a blind eye is turned to a 'black market' within the organisation, according to one of the grants scheme's most ardent critics.

Mark Conway, who is behind the 'Of One Belief' movement that opposes the scheme, believes the government should not fund player grants while numerous club and county managers are given 'under-the-counter' payments that are not declared for tax purposes.

Conway's comments come as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen proposes to meet the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) chief executive Dessie Farrell this week.

Cullen appeared to initially row back on the €3.5m scheme last week but later said that he is looking at ways to put the government's inter-county players' grants scheme "in a more long-term, sustainable position".

Conway has been a consistent critic of the GAA "pay-for-play grants" and resigned from the GAA's National Audit Committee when pay-for-play grants were introduced. He believes that "the malignancy of the Celtic Tiger wormed its way into the organisation" threatening its amateur status, and considers it hypocritical that a 'black market' operates within the GAA at the same time its players are looking for government grants.

"Paid managers poison the GAA," Conway claims. "Unfortunately they're everywhere. It's in our own hands and ours alone to cut out the paid manager cancer. It's our club and counties which hire them, although maybe they don't directly pay them.

"The vigour of Ireland's greatest community asset, the GAA, is the carrot for action here. Maybe a good robust tax investigation or two would be the stick! Either way, it's time for action.

"And what about the casualties? If they won't contribute without being paid, then they are just a liability rather than an asset in the first place. And who needs liabilities?"

There was some controversy in GAA circles recently when the organisation's director general, Paraic Duffy, controversially claimed that under the counter payments of £30,000 (€35,000) were made to an Ulster county manager.

Duffy said the "single most difficult issue" facing the GAA was "under-the-counter payments" to football managers and he has vowed to tackle the issue.

There was no one from the GPA or GAA available for comment when the Sunday Tribune attempted to contact both organisations on Friday.