Dublin chief executive John Costello has called for national and provincial assistance to cope with the soaring population on the eastern seaboard. The comments are contained in his address to next week's annual convention and are based on preliminary census figures, showing a population increase of 127,895 - or over 12 per cent - in the county over the past 10 years.

"The pace of development in Dublin and the greater Dublin area, which is significantly influenced by regional, national and international factors, requires an integrated action plan involving the counties, Central Council and the Leinster Council.

"It is only through a coordinated approach in the planning and financing of action plans will these counties be able to fund the necessary infrastructural and coaching development programmes necessary for the Dublin area which accounts for 39 per cent of the population of the State."

The imperative to embrace ethnic diversity also features strongly in the report with Costello outlining both the challenges and opportunities.

"For the GAA to grow - and to ensure that it maintains its pre-eminent position in Irish society - it must nurture and embrace this diversity and encourage the new Irish to actively get involved in our games. This can only be to everyone's benefit in the longer-term. Embracing diversity must be something we do - not just talk about.

" in some primary school classes there are no children with a parent of Irish ancestry. These challenges must be addressed as opportunities as we would be failing in our responsibilities to our predecessors and to future generations if we were to allow a situation where considerable areas of Dublin were denied the opportunity to play our national games."

The report also lists the number of inter-county transfers to Dublin clubs since 2001.

"It is ironic," comments Costello, "that, where appropriate, the clubs with the highest numbers of applications all have thriving juvenile sections."

The clubs with the greatest numbers are: Kilmacud Crokes 105, Garda 91, Na Fianna 78, Lucan Sarsfields 65, Ballyboden/St Enda's 60, Faughs 53, St Jude's 46, Civil Service 44, St Brigid's 44, St Vincent's 44, Naomh Olaf 41, St Oliver Plunkett's 38, Fingallians 27, Thomas Davis 26, Castleknock 23, Donnybrook 23, Kevins 23, Ballymun Kickhams 20.

Meanwhile, with next Saturday's Central Council meeting to determine the future of the International Rules series, both Costello and his Down counterpart Donal McCormack have been critical of the game.

According to the Dublin report: "Prior to the last two series (home and away), the International Rules was praised by certain quarters, including a number of Croke Park officials, as being the panacea to all they felt was wrong in our own games. In fact, there was a school of opinion we should adopt both the tackle and the use of the mark from the compromise game. In the case of the mark this was advocated in order to develop high fielding in our own game.

"This particular notion can certainly now be put to bed. The tackle in the hybrid game would lead to greater uncertainty in Gaelic football while the mark makes the game more staccato-like and there was little spectacular high-fielding on view in either one of this year's two games."

In his address to the Down annual convention, McCormack, retiring after 34 years at county executive level, does, however, counsel caution about criticism of the violence at international level.

"The International Rules Series has once again been surrounded by controversy. I feel we should be careful in the criticism we voice in regard to the standard of discipline shown by the players as we have witnessed a few rather nasty incidents in our own games recently. However, I do feel in the case of the International Rules the offenders are not being made accountable for their actions. I am also convinced this hybrid game, which does give our players the opportunity to represent their country, has nothing to offer."

McCormack also referred to the loss of former minor star Martin Clarke to the NFL.

"Martin has shown great skill and ability at underage level and I have no doubt he would have been a great star. I wish him well in Australia and hope he has the success he deserves and I also hope when his contract ends he will seriously consider a return to Gaelic football."