Sports Grants

[gufct]

by a number of well known clubs and the FAI's complicity in the handing out of grants without proper supervision.This could bring down the present regime in the FAI as they were implicated over monies paid out to certain clubs without prior approval.

[eoinh]

Todays Irish Times

Mosy of grant aid goes to GAA clubs and the kerry south constituency of sports minister O' Donoghue

Sports orgainisations in kerry, among them several rowing clubs, recieved almost €3 million in grant aid under the 2004 Sports Capital Programme announced earlier this month.
The bulk of the money went to GAA clubs and to Kerry South, the constituency of the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr. O'Donoghue. A small number of clubs in the constituency of Kerry North got €1 million.
The county was also among the highest beneficiaries under the sports capital programme in 2003. Last year the grants were announced in July.
Among the recipients this year are the several orgainisations in the Ministers own local electoral ward, Killorglin, in which his brother, the sitting councillor, Mr. Paul O'Donoghue, and two other FF candidates are standing for election.
In that ward the Sneem Rowing club recieved €80,000, the Cahersiveen Rowing club €100,000 and the Over the Water rowing club near the ministers home town of Cahersiveen recieved €30,000, with Valentia Regatta committee also recieving €7,000.
Laune Rangers GGG club in Killorglin got €200,000 and the Kenamre Shamrocks GAA club got a similar amount, and the South Kerry Sports Centre got €250,000.
Several grants were awarded to GAA clubs across the constituency and there were substantial grants too to social, community and health clubs in Valentia, Cahersiveen and Kilorglin. Rowing clubs in Killarney also recieved money.
It emerged yesterday that the 106 memebr Killorglin rowing club, currently under construction, was pushed up the list of points needed to allow it to qualify for its first tranche of sports grants in late march 2002.
Some €550,000 grant aid for the club was announced for the club in a 16 month period.

[corkharps]

Liam Hayes wrote a piece about the GAA paying county managers in the region of €40k a year in under the table payments. No Income tax,published accounts must be false and seeminly this is only the tip of the iceberg.YET they still get millions in grants????????????????????????????????????????????

[pete]

Although likely to affect some eL clubs probably be good idea to ensure clubs got tax clearance before awarding grants to them.