Government to Fund GAA Player Wages?

[pete]

Indo

Government's €5m on table for players
Thursday January 18th 2007

THE GOVERNMENT will not budge on the issue of individual grants for GAA players, but their offer of €5million to Croke Park to fund them is still "on the table," according to Sports Minister John O'Donoghue.

The GAA and Gaelic Players Association (GPA) are due to take another vital next step next week when they resume negotiations on the thorny subject.

For the last two and a half years, the GPA has been seeking individual grant aid for their players and organised inter-county hurlers and footballers to stage a mass protest last March when delaying National League throw-ins. This action was taken to highlight their battle to be treated like Irish sports stars in other codes who get millions of euros per year in grant aid.

But despite a long-running campaign on the players' behalf, the Government and GAA have ruled out a similar scheme and the likely compromise is to allocate funding into players' team funds, possibly through county boards.

Late last year, it was rumoured that the GPA were contemplating running candidates in the upcoming General Election on this contentious matter. But that now appears off the agenda.

The sports minister has not changed his thinking, but he is willing to give the GAA a lump sum to fund the players as the Croker authorities see fit.

Agreeing

However, the GAA and players are still a long way away from agreeing the details of such a scheme.

The GPA were due to start their 2007 talks by meeting the GAA's new Players Welfare Officer Paraic Duffy last week, but that meeting had to be deferred because some key GPA personnel were unavailable and is now expected to go ahead early next week.

Minister O'Donoghue said yesterday that "my door is open to both organisations to come and see me in order to finalise arrangements. I am willing to see if we can make €5m available, that remains on the table."

But the Kerry native again ruled out any suggestion of players getting individual government grants, saying it was up to the GAA hierarchy to decide how to fund players.

"I've been quite consistent, I'm not getting involved in pay-for-play. Personally, I'm against it. I believe the amateur status of the GAA is paramount to its success," he said.

"But the whole question of the amateurism of the GAA is a matter for the GAA itself," O'Donoghue stressed.

"And no more than I would tell them what they should do with Croke Park, I will not tell them what they should do in relation to their players." Government's €5m on table for players
Thursday January 18th 2007
ADVERTISEMENT

THE GOVERNMENT will not budge on the issue of individual grants for GAA players, but their offer of €5million to Croke Park to fund them is still "on the table," according to Sports Minister John O'Donoghue.

The GAA and Gaelic Players Association (GPA) are due to take another vital next step next week when they resume negotiations on the thorny subject.

For the last two and a half years, the GPA has been seeking individual grant aid for their players and organised inter-county hurlers and footballers to stage a mass protest last March when delaying National League throw-ins. This action was taken to highlight their battle to be treated like Irish sports stars in other codes who get millions of euros per year in grant aid.

But despite a long-running campaign on the players' behalf, the Government and GAA have ruled out a similar scheme and the likely compromise is to allocate funding into players' team funds, possibly through county boards.

Late last year, it was rumoured that the GPA were contemplating running candidates in the upcoming General Election on this contentious matter. But that now appears off the agenda.

The sports minister has not changed his thinking, but he is willing to give the GAA a lump sum to fund the players as the Croker authorities see fit.

Agreeing

However, the GAA and players are still a long way away from agreeing the details of such a scheme.

The GPA were due to start their 2007 talks by meeting the GAA's new Players Welfare Officer Paraic Duffy last week, but that meeting had to be deferred because some key GPA personnel were unavailable and is now expected to go ahead early next week.

Minister O'Donoghue said yesterday that "my door is open to both organisations to come and see me in order to finalise arrangements. I am willing to see if we can make €5m available, that remains on the table."

But the Kerry native again ruled out any suggestion of players getting individual government grants, saying it was up to the GAA hierarchy to decide how to fund players.

"I've been quite consistent, I'm not getting involved in pay-for-play. Personally, I'm against it. I believe the amateur status of the GAA is paramount to its success," he said.

"But the whole question of the amateurism of the GAA is a matter for the GAA itself," O'Donoghue stressed.

"And no more than I would tell them what they should do with Croke Park, I will not tell them what they should do in relation to their players."

How can the State just give the GAA money to fund players wages? Surely if its good enough the GAA they can give same to the FAI to help subsidise eL player wages?

[strangeirish]

Indo

How can the State just give the GAA money to fund players wages? Surely if its good enough the GAA they can give same to the FAI to help subsidise eL player wages?

I don't think it's for wages, but rather a fund to reimburse players for expenses incurred during the season.

[paul_oshea]

thats what it is, due to the fact they work full time during the week.

[WeAreRovers]

due to the fact they work full time during the week.

And those wages from their full-time jobs should pay for their hobbies as that what Gaelic Games are. It's not the taxpayers job to pay these people. If the GAA want to reimburse them then so be it but of course they won't, despite massive under-the-counter payments to managers. What did it take so long for John O'Mahoney to accept the Mayo job?

Government grants for sports people are for elite athletes who compete internationally eg rowers, runners etc. These people actually lose money as they cannot work full-time due to sporting commitments, training abroad etc. Totally different to GAA players.

KOH

[pete]

And those wages from their full-time jobs should pay for their hobbies as that what Gaelic Games are. It's not the taxpayers job to pay these people. If the GAA want to reimburse them then so be it but of course they won't, despite massive under-the-counter payments to managers. What did it take so long for John O'Mahoney to accept the Mayo job?

The GAA have been scamming the tax man for years with their "expenses" yet the eL gets targetted by the Revenue Commissioners.

If I go jogging a few nights a week & run in some clubs races will the government give me money? What about amateur footballers & rugby players. What makes the GAA so special?

[paul_oshea]

And those wages from their full-time jobs should pay for their hobbies as that what Gaelic Games are. It's not the taxpayers job to pay these people. If the GAA want to reimburse them then so be it but of course they won't, despite massive under-the-counter payments to managers. What did it take so long for John O'Mahoney to accept the Mayo job?

Not going to get into a big thing here, john o'mahoney didnt take it initially due to his commitments with Fine Gael. Thats the basis of it. Secondly, 5 days of the week is a little more than a hobby. Someone travelling 40 miles on a saturday morning before 7 o'clock to be at training for 7.30 is a lot more than just a "hobby"

[pete]

Someone travelling 40 miles on a saturday morning before 7 o'clock to be at training for 7.30 is a lot more than just a "hobby"

I am sure loads of other sports people do similar or more. Still don't see what makes them so special. The GAA has enough money themselves to pay them. Be better off giving grants to disadvantages areas than wasting like this.

[WeAreRovers]

Secondly, 5 days of the week is a little more than a hobby. Someone travelling 40 miles on a saturday morning before 7 o'clock to be at training for 7.30 is a lot more than just a "hobby"

5 minutes a week or 5 days a week, it's still a hobby. As I said if the GAA want to pay their players then fire ahead and do it but as a taxpayer I'm sick of subsidising the GAA when other sports (with an international dimension) get peanuts.

As for John O'Mahoney, my old man is a member of St Brigids and I'll take his word on it before yours ta.

KOH

[holidaysong]

€5 million that would be better spent in our health system if you ask me. It is the responsibility of the GAA to ensure if their players can't afford to cover their own expenses then they do it for them.

[paul_oshea]

As for John O'Mahoney, my old man is a member of St Brigids and I'll take his word on it before yours ta.

John O'mahony is involved with ballaghadereen, moreso than brigids, what the fcek has that got to do with anything. My daddy would beat up your daddy. it is well known round home why he waited.

Btw, I wasn't justifying, nor was I going against it. I am just giving some more info.

[Thunderblaster]

I don't want to see my tax being used to pay bogballers. People also call that primitive, stone age, formerly ban supporting organisation the Grab All Association.

[superfrank]

What makes the GAA so special?

It's our national sport.

[GavinZac]

It's our national sport.

Its our self appointed national sport.

[pete]

It's our national sport.

More people play football/soccer.

[superfrank]

The same argument I use. But the fact of the matter is that the Gaelic Games are our sports. Just like football is England's sport and ice hockey is Canada's sport, etc.

As much as people over here love football, we didn't come up with it. It is a worldwide sport, whereas the Gaelic Games are wholly Irish.

[GavinZac]

The same argument I use. But the fact of the matter is that the Gaelic Games are our sports.

because the GAA say so? wonderful.

As much as people over here love football, we didn't come up with it. It is a worldwide sport, whereas the Gaelic Games are wholly Irish.

no, no they're not. gaelic football is just another code of football, made to distinguish it from the wide variety of other football games played at the time. hurling is/was played across the british isles in various forms, codifying something that had fallen by the wayside elsewhere does not make it "ours".

[superfrank]

Hair-splitting.

[GavinZac]

Hair-splitting.

you mean looking at the facts rather than going along with the GAA's marketing team? sure, if you want to call it that.

[superfrank]

you mean looking at the facts rather than going along with the GAA's marketing team? sure, if you want to call it that.

Ever hear of shinty?? It's what they play in Scotland. It is NOT hurling, and hurling is NOT shinty. Gaelic games are part of our national identity, not anyone elses. We should do our best to preserve it, like the Irish language, for example.

I don't like them anywhere as much as I like football but the fact of the matter is it's our national sport. Football isn't, rugby isn't. They will always get Government backing over other sports no matter what. And no amount of whinging will change that. Deal with it.

[GavinZac]

Ever hear of shinty?? It's what they play in Scotland. It is NOT hurling, and hurling is NOT shinty. Gaelic games are part of our national identity, not anyone elses. We should do our best to preserve it, like the Irish language, for example

:lol: oh what a beautiful ireland we would have; if we learned to drive instead of barely scraping past with agam agat aginn agibh, and if we didnt have such a complex about differentiating ourselves from the rest of the british isles by something as trivial as a rule book.