Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael)

Yesterday, I called on the Camogie Association to take the decision-making out of players' hands ahead of this weekend's Leinster finals. As things stand, it is against the rules for women to wear shorts while playing camogie matches. However, while we await the outcome of a special Congress vote on 22 May, there is a way to avoid any further distraction for players and managers regarding protests and playing gear. As per the rule book of the Camogie Association, today is the last chance for President Brian Molloy and members of the ard comhairle to call a special meeting that could see a derogation from the skort rule put in place by Saturday. Five days' notice is required, so time is almost out.

In the meantime, crucially, Kilkenny and Wexford are in an almost impossible position. Do they refuse to play a Leinster final, thus denying themselves a proper run at their all-Ireland series preparation or do they play the game in skorts and, by doing so, take a different stance from that taken last week by their Munster colleagues? Antrim and Derry, it should be pointed out, played an Ulster final last weekend and wore skorts under protest, but if Kilkenny and Wexford, two senior teams, do the same, will they be inadvertently causing division in the ranks of inter-county camogie players and the GPA? Unfortunately, this headache is what consumes the players five days out from a championship final. This is the headache I called for the Camogie Association to alleviate yesterday. While that has not happened, there is still time to rebuild trust, claw back some of the reputational damage done in recent weeks and derogate from the mandatory wearing of skorts ahead of this weekend's senior and intermediate Leinster camogie finals. It should give notice today of a special ard comhairle meeting on Saturday morning and take the spotlight, pressure and decision-making away from elite camogie players preparing for a match.