All this week, the debate has rumbled on following the agreement between the GPA and the GAA. Gaelic Life has been inundated with queries about the nature and the ramifications of this new partnership. We decided to put our readers' questions to the GAA's negotiation team. Here's what they had to say.
What exactly does 'an independent body within the GAA' mean? County officers were told last Saturday this would be the status of the GPA under the agreement. How can the GPA be within the GAA yet still be independent?
There are already a number of precedents within the GAA itself for such an arrangement – for example Cumann na mBunscol, Handball and Rounders. All of these are independent bodies, but within the Association. The GPA know the nature of the relationships we have with these bodies and are happy to have a similar relationship themselves.
Why did the GAA's leadership hand the facilitation of the discussions with the GPA over to an outside barrister?
Quite simply, the GAA had reached a point in discussions with the GPA where they felt it would be useful to bring a facilitator on board to help reach a solution acceptable to the Association. Turlough O'Donnell, a Belfast man with a huge interest in and knowledge of the Association, is very highly thought of in this respect and gave of his time voluntarily to help in the process
Were there any commitments in return from the GPA? Perhaps a no strike promise?
The commitments from the GPA are very clearly outlined in the proposed agreement and include:
· Enshrining the principles of the amateur status and the volunteer ethos in their constitution.
· Playing a positive role in enhancing relationships between county players and county committees.
· Playing a positive role where disputes arise in particular counties – such as in some of those we have already witnessed this year.
· A commitment that all expenditure by the GPA will only be on administration or player welfare projects.
It is the ultimate aim of both the GAA and the GPA that in due course the GPA will be fully funded by the GAA only and as such will not be involved in the commercial market themselves as has been the case to date.
Will any of the GAA's retrospective pay-out to the GPA for its 2009 activities include monies for Platinum One, the sports marketing and events company which was employed to help the GPA achieve the current agreement? Will any GAA monies be used to pay subscriptions to the EU Athletes Association, a representative body for professional athletes to which the GPA belongs?
The funding that will be made available to the GPA for both administration and player welfare projects under the proposed agreement will not be drawn down until such time as the GAA knows precisely what it is for and how it is to be spent. The guiding principles for the GAA in this context are to ensure that whatever our funding is spent on delivers value for money, a benefit for the GAA and above all else is in keeping with the principles of amateur status.
What are the GAA activities and projects that will not now happen in 2010 because of the agreement reached with the GPA? What level of control does the GAA have over the distribution of funds? What GAA budget cuts can we expect in 2010 to pay for this?
The Budget for 2010 is due to be discussed by Central Council this weekend. The feedback received from counties and from the membership generally around the country is that there will be no support for any cuts to Games Development funding or club grants from national level. That is our starting point.
Should the agreement with the GPA be approved, we believe that our commercial revenue will increase in 2010 – it is impossible to say by how much at this stage. The increase in revenue from working together with the GPA will certainly go some, if not all, of the way to reimbursing the Association for the proposed investment in player welfare. For instance there will now be an added value to the GAA's sponsorships because the Association can be sure of the co-operation of players. There are a number of finance-generating projects that can be undertaken with the GPA into the future which will help finance this increased commitment to player welfare by the Association at National Level.
In terms of control over the distribution of GAA funds, under the proposed agreement there will be both a pre and post evaluation of all projects undertaken by the GPA, in much the same way as the GAA would work with the Irish Handball Council as an example.
Could the GPA use the funds from the GAA to pay the salary of their Chief Executive or other staff members? Could the funding facilitate the continuation of the GPA's All-stars scheme for example?
The GAA has not received any submissions from the GPA at this point in terms of how they intend to use any funding generated and naturally we will not receive any until such time as Central Council have given us permission to proceed with the interim provisions that we have outlined. That being said, ultimately it is the goal of all parties that the GPA will not be engaged in any commercial activities of their own and the only funding they will be in receipt of will be that provided from the GAA so naturally all of their administration costs will have to come out of the allocation provided by the GAA nationally.
The All Star scheme is one of a number of projects that will need to be addressed in the next 12 months. However, if the GPA are working with the GAA as part of the one organisation, it would hardly make sense to have two similar awards schemes and we would look at maximising our resources in this respect.
Can you talk us through the course of events which took place Saturday week ago at Croke Park and the time frames involved? For the purposes of clarification, how long before the meeting were county representatives furnished with copies of the agreement? And how long were they given to discuss it?
The proposed agreement was presented to County Board officers at a meeting at 11am last Saturday week and there was a two hour information session with those officers during which the GAA negotiating team answered every questions posed. The press briefing on the matter took place at 1pm – essentially county officers were asked to bring the proposal to their Counties and clubs for further discussion and to revert to Croke Park if they required further clarification on any matters. Counties were asked to hold meetings with their club delegates ahead of next Saturday's Central Council meeting when we would hope to secure approval for the interim provisions and the space to work towards a more complete agreement into the future. There will also be a motion to Congress in April 2010 on the matter.
Have there been any concerns or complaints from county boards across the country about the time frame which clubs have had to discuss their position on the matter?
If there are, we have not been made aware of them. While we will be seeking the approval of Ard Chomhairle to implement the interim provisions of the proposal at the weekend, Congress will be the real opportunity for clubs to be heard on the matter so there is ample time for discussion in clubs
There is a real concern that this year's ¤1.6m may only be a starting point. The document stresses that the ¤1.6m agreed is just an interim agreement. Is there any possibility that the figure could reach up to ¤3.5m, the sum allocated by the Irish government under the player grants scheme?
Firstly, the figure for 2010 that is being made available is ¤1.35m. That breaks down as ¤1.1m for player welfare projects and ¤250,000 for administration costs. The figure available is conditional on the GPA finding worthwhile, value for money player welfare projects that can be delivered. Between us, we have a rough idea of what these might cost a year and this is reflected in the amount of funding being made available for such purposes.
As regards the player's expenses scheme available from the Government, this is a completely separate matter. This is a Government scheme, has always been a Government scheme and will always remain a Government scheme. The GAA at national level and through liaison officers in our county boards do assist in the administration of it. This year funding for the schemes has dropped to slightly over a million euro. However, the GPA have repeatedly been at pains to point out that they will never ask the GAA to fund these schemes. They are on record on this point.
Indeed when the Government took over ¤2m from the fund available for these schemes this year, the GPA accepted the economic realities that led to this. They never at any point asked the GAA to step in, despite urgings from some quarters outside of our Association to do so.
What will be the position of the GAA should clubs and county delegates vote against the agreement? Will that be the end of the matter or will both parties strive for a compromise?
We hope our counties and clubs consider and debate this proposal and are not afraid to make themselves heard on what is being proposed. At next Saturday's Central Council meeting, we are seeking broad approval for the principles that are outlined in the document and for the interim provisions suggested. No doubt between now and next April – if we get the approval of Central Council in the meantime - it will be the subject of more debate and it will be on the floor of Congress for the formal approval of the Association.
When a problem exists – and there is no point in sticking your head in the sand and ignoring reality – there is a responsibility to address it. In terms of the agreement that is being proposed, an tUachtarán Christy Cooney, the Ard Stiúrthóir Paraic Duffy, Feargal McGill and Liam Keane were asked last July by the members of Central Council from all 32 counties and overseas, to solve this problem in the best interests of the Association. They were mandated to deliver an agreement with the GPA into the future with the following provisos:
1. That they should be funded as a players' body to perform welfare functions for GAA
2. That we should not countenance a flat percentage of income
3. That any funding would have to be project based and subject to evaluation processes
4. That the GPA could not operate totally autonomously to the GAA
It is their belief that the proposals being put forward fulfil each of those requirements and we are hopeful that its acceptance will ultimately further copperfasten the amateur status of our games in to the future.
The Agreement made simple....
The GPA will be officially recognised as the representative body for senior inter-county players within the GAA. The GPA will be an independent body within the GAA.
The GPA will represent the views of senior inter-county players and will act as the vehicle to deliver the most comprehensive player welfare programme possible.
The GPA is fully committed to the voluntary and amateur ethos of the GAA and will give explicit expression of this in its constitution.
The aim is that ultimately the GPA will be fully funded from central GAA funds.
This is an interim agreement pending the conclusion of a comprehensive agreement by 31 October 2010.
The GAA will provide the GPA with ¤1.1m for the year 2010 to fund player welfare projects.
The GAA will provide the GPA with ¤250,000 towards its administration costs for 2009. The GAA will provide the GPA with ¤250,000 towards its administration costs for 2010.
The sums mentioned will be paid on the basis of an agreed process which will involve advance evaluation of all projects and costs as well as evaluation subsequent to the expenditure of the funds. This process will be conducted with full transparency, in a spirit of goodwill and co-operation.
The GAA/GPA will work together to maximise commercial opportunities for the benefit of the Association generally and to enhance the funding available for player welfare.
Any future commercial activities undertaken by the GPA outside of those already agreed will be subject to approval under the agreed mechanism.
All GPA expenditure will continue to be on administration and approved player welfare projects.
