The GAA is considering changing the age of minor eligibility from U18 to U17, a move which was signaled last November by HDC chairman Tommy Lanigan.

President Liam O'Neill says that moving minor grade to U17 would be a much more practical departure than changing U21 to U20.

He has confirmed that the future of U21 football and hurling is safe but says in The Irish Daily Star that minor action as we know it could soon be a thing of the past:

"We're trying to formulate a policy at the moment where minor would become U17 and then those U17s would not play adult games.

"You could have minor and adult league games then going on at the same time. It would really streamline fixtures a lot. U21 becoming U20 wouldn't do enough to justify breaking that tie we have. It's there since 1965 and it's working well. I wouldn't like to be the one to change it."

"The brand of under 21 seems strong enough to hold. I'm not in favour of breaking a brand unless you're sure that what's going to replace it is stronger. I don't see a danger to the U21 title."