A new disciplinary body for the GAA will go before next year's annual congress for approval. The committee appointed to consider the functions of the current Games Administration Committee expects to have proposals ready for discussion in January.

Páraic Duffy chairs the committee and says he favours the separation of the GAC's fixtures and disciplinary functions.

"That's the key issue before the committee but I think there's a developing consensus that the workload of both discipline and fixtures goes well beyond the reasonable burden on one committee.

"My own experience (Duffy was chair of GAC between 2000-'03) would tell me that such a workload requires two separate bodies. Our remit as a committee is to review GAC operations, functions and workload. The plan was to report back in three months and make suggestions as to how more effectively those functions might be discharged."

The current GAC has been embroiled in a number of controversies concerning the imposition of discipline but they weren't the reason for establishment of Duffy's committee on which current GAC chair Tony O'Keeffe sits.

The whole question of rules and their imposition has also been on the agenda of two other task forces appointed by GAA president Seán Kelly. One, the Sub-committees Review Task Force, chaired by Dublin's Gerry Brady, also looked at the area of discipline but its work has been amalgamated with Duffy's committee.

The Rules Task Force is the other body and is chaired by Cork secretary Frank Murphy who also sits with Duffy. This task force is focusing on the legal aspects of the rules and procedures in an environment where the GAA is being regularly taken to court by members hoping to set aside rulings of the association in relation to disciplinary matters.

Whatever about the chances of Duffy's committee being able to present recommendations to next year's congress there may be difficulties for the Rules Task Force in dealing thoroughly with all elements of their remit, given the complex legal issues at stake.

Overall, though, it appears likely that a new disciplinary body will oversee next year's championship. Given the prevailing view that the GAC's functions are to be broken up into fixtures and discipline, a new panel to handle the latter will be in place before the summer.

But, depending on the deliberations of the Murphy task force, the long-term shape of any new disciplinary body may have to be amended to accommodate whatever conclusions are drawn on the need to fire-proof the GAA's procedures against legal challenges and the securing of temporary injunctions.

Already the GAA has approved the establishment of an arbitration committee to try to head off disputes that are heading to the courts. It's questionable whether this will have any impact at law - as individuals still have a right to legal remedy - although when the Dublin County Board succeeded in having Na Fianna's injunction (relating to the club's fielding of six replacements in the county championship) lifted two years ago due weight was given to the GAA rule book.

The High Court referred to Rule 151 (f), which states, "in particular there shall be no appeal to any court of law or to any outside body on any matter". It was held that short of there being a deprivation of constitutional rights or breach of natural law, disputes within the GAA should remain in-house.

The judge referred to the dispute as being a matter of interpretation on the basis that Na Fianna's case was grounded on their interpretation of the rules. But he added that the structure of the GAA was the proper forum for such a dispute.

Seán Kelly, the president of the GAA, welcomed the announcement by John O'Donoghue, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, that in a 17 per cent increase for sport generally in the published Estimates, €1,500,000 is being allocated to support a National Development Strategy for Hurling and Camogie. Kelly said he was delighted the Government had understood and acknowledged the special status of hurling and camogie and their particular needs. He said yesterday's announcement would act as tangible support to the association in energising the development of the games.