A leading Irish lecturer has questioned the dramatic increase in government funding the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) is seeking and where the funding is to be distributed.
Paul Rouse, a UCD lecturer in the school of History and Archives, obtained the proposal under the Freedom of Information Act and revealed its details in today’s Irish Examiner, voiced his concerns over the document.
The GPA currently receives €900,000 annually in government funding, down from €3.5m prior to the economic crash, but is lobbying for a figure that expected to be greater than €7m.
In the ‘Proposal for a New Collaboration between Government and the GPA’ a number of topics are mentioned, including an obesity conference and a trade and tourism mission.
“It’s very difficult to understand the logic behind the state giving money to inter-county players." - Paul Rouse
Speaking to 2fm’s Game On, Rouse said the sums involved could be even higher than initially stated.
“When the documents were release, the particular figures were blacked out. It may be the figure is much more than €7m,” he explained.
“What we do know is that there is a huge increase being sought by the GPA in the funding that it receives from the state.”
It is the detail within the proposal which has aroused concerns for Rouse.
“In the proposal that was put to government, there was practically no detail. To describe it as broad strokes is be kind to what they were trying to do.
“For example the broader idea of raising foreign direct investment and increasing tourism ran to 188 words. The obesity proposal ran to 312 words.
“The GAA’s competence in either of these areas, well, you could leave them open to question.
“Why would anyone charge the GPA with hosting a conference on obesity and publishing another report on obesity.
“Why would the GPA be needed to draw together the latest research that’s available?
“This has been done. There are programmes in place that need to be rolled out, not another report.”
As it stands, the funding is given to inter-county players as a once-off payment for a championship season.
In 2015, All-Ireland finalists received €667, dropping to a minimum of €435 given to players of counties who exited after first round defeats of the senior football and hurling championships.
While the UCD lecturer says that he, along with the majority of the public he suspects, has huge respect for the sacrifices made by the elite players within the GAA, he remains “highly dubious” of the latest lobbying.
“It’s very difficult to understand the logic behind the state giving money to inter-county players, very, very difficult," said Rouse.
“Everyone understands the financial crisis the state has gone through. Everybody understands, I think, that we are far from out of that crisis."
He added that while the GPA “have a whole range of excellent schemes”, there are many issues that need to be addressed.
“The €900,000 was divided out among the players as cash payments. When it comes down to it, why should the state be providing cash for inter-county players?
“That question to me seems to be a very simple one, particularly in a document which preaches the usual pieties that the GPA claims that amateurism is the bedrock of the GAA.”
