The GAA will introduce a charter for players and counties to expedite the agreement with the Gaelic Players Association and Irish Sports Council for the payment of player awards.

Yesterday's announcement of the deal that has averted the possibility of intercounty players withdrawing from panels at the start of next season will create obligations for players and counties.

"We're about to propose a charter on performance and standards that will apply to both counties and players," said Con Hogan, one of the GAA's negotiators. "Counties will have the responsibility for making sure they agree key performance criteria and training schedules to the required standards."

Among the county board responsibilities under the agreement are the establishing of performance targets with team managements and a code of conduct, including advice on the anti-doping code and the provision of qualified personnel to assist in and enhance player development.

The agreement had been negotiated to a successful conclusion earlier in the week by representatives of the Government, the Irish Sports Council, the GAA and GPA. Minister for Sport Séamus Brennan signed off on the deal after getting it green-lighted by the Taoiseach and Minister for Finance.

Both the GAA and GPA welcomed the preservation of the association's amateur status. President Nickey Brennan expressed happiness that "the association's core concerns had been addressed - the protection of the amateur status, the payment of funds from the Exchequer clearly defined as sports awards and the commitment that GAA funding generally would not be negatively impacted on in any way".

GPA secretary Kieran McGeeney said at a media conference the agreement would "keep amateur status in place". The conditions of the agreement state: "These schemes will be additional to, and will not negatively impact on existing funding or any future funding, provided by the Government to the GAA through the ISC. All parties recognise the amateur status of the GAA . . ."

The financial awards will largely conform to the schedule of payments agreed between the GAA and GPA last April. That schedule (see panel) was divided into four categories whereas the agreement between the Government, GAA, GPA and ISC will be based on two payment types, the Annual Team Performance Scheme and the Annual Support Scheme. In the case of the first group the players eligible will be footballers and hurlers with the top 12 counties: football's provincial finalists and the counties qualifying for the final qualifier round and in hurling the counties contesting the MacCarthy Cup.

The precise reconciliation of the figures will be worked out in the months ahead and the schemes will take effect from the end of 2008.

It is believed the sums available to players will range between €1,500 and €2,500. The money will be provided by the Irish Sports Council but distributed by the GAA through county boards. Payments and disputes will be monitored by a committee of Páraic Duffy, the GAA's player welfare manager, and Dessie Farrell, the GPA chief executive.

The GAA were at pains to emphasise the payment mechanism does not represent a climb-down. The association has said publicly since the agreement concluded with the GPA last April it would be prepared to distribute the money if made available by the Government. There had, however, been vehement objections to the proposal by the previous Minister for Sport, John O'Donoghue, that the funding be made available through additional infrastructural payments.

Players' responsibilities include attendance at 80 per cent of all training sessions/matches, demonstration of improvement through regular fitness testing, maintenance of an updated training log/diary, strict adherence to anti-doping code. Players who violate the code will not receive awards.

Players will commit to participate in an agreed level of coaching and games development work in their county on a voluntary basis. In co-operation with the Local Sports Partnerships players will visit schools and youth facilities as part of an overall policy to promote increased participation in their sports and involve themselves in initiatives at county and national level to promote their sports.

It is also specified "any inter-county squad or player may decline the amount".

The proposed payments to players isn't substantially affected by the reduction in the originally floated €5 million, as the schedule agreed by the GPA and GAA last April included a payment of €1,25 million into a player welfare fund, which will not now be available - it is stated in the agreement's conditions that player welfare is to be the responsibility of the GAA.

"If it had come we would have taken it," said Hogan of the amount, "but we acknowledge our own responsibility for player welfare. The involvement of the Sports Council removes this from the realms of pay-for-play. The rationale behind these awards is players aren't paid and so don't qualify for tax concessions."

Whereas there is no official guarantee the funding will be on an annual basis the sense of the agreement indicates payments will be ongoing and it is stated the schemes will be subject to triennial review, by the ISC. The agreement will require the endorsement of the GPA's executive and the GAA's Central Council.