Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould has called on the government to immediately rectify guidelines to allow second teams to play following the news that Cork’s intermediate camogie team are not allowed participate in the Intermediate Championship.

Speaking today, Teachta Gould said: “The Intermediate and Junior Championships are going ahead. In counties where the first team are either intermediate or junior, these teams can play. However, in places, such as Cork, where there are two teams – for example senior and intermediate – only the first team can play.

“Either intermediate and junior players are elite players or they are not. It is nonsensical to have a situation whereby in one county the same group of players at the same level are allowed to participate, and in another they are not simply because they are a second team.

“There are 10 teams that have been training all year for these championships that have now been excluded at the last minute.

“At a time when we are encouraging and highlighting female participation in sport through the 20×20 campaign, this simply isn’t good enough.

“This is clearly an oversight on the part of the government and should be rectified immediately before it is too late. With Intermediate and Junior championships going ahead, all teams should be allowed to participate.”