Irish Sports Council stand firm on test procedures

THE Irish Sports Council yesterday defended themselves against criticism of their out-of-competition drug testing procedures for GAA players.

At the launch of new anti-doping rules by Sports Minister John O'Donoghue, there was concerns expressed that procedures for GAA, soccer and rugby will be undertaken at designated training venues only while athletes and swimmers can be tested in their homes at any time.

Sports Council bosses were quick to explain their reasoning for the different approaches.

"It is a question of knowing a person's whereabouts. Members of teams train together but athletes tend to train on their own, from their own home. I know it. I did this myself. So the best place to get them is at home. It is much simpler to get them at home," said John Treacy, Chief Executive of the Irish Sports Council.

The Chairman of the Irish Sports Council, Pat O'Neill, agreed that it was easier and more practical to get members of a team at a training session. "Nowadays teams train four and even five times a week so it is quite easy to locate them," he said.

The Anti-Doping Unit's Programme Manager, Dr Una May, also agreed that practicality was a key reason for the different formats and insisted that the testing would be unannounced.

"In the case of teams, testers will turn up- unannounced at training sessions and individuals will have to comply," she said.

On the issue of masking agents, Dr Conor O'Brien, Chairman of the Irish Sports Council's Anti-Doping Committee, pointed out that residues would remain for up to four months and they had the technology to detect even the smallest amount.

Dr May and the Chairman of the ISC, Pat O'Neill, welcomed the GAA's total commitment to their programme.

"We now have 54 national governing bodies signed up to the agreement and that has to mean we have been successful in presenting our anti-doping programme to them," Mr O'Neill said.

"It has been a huge undertaking and the fact that the Government is putting e1million into it shows how seriously they are taking it.

"We are grateful for their support."

The issue of testing of GAA players had proven controversial but officials were adamant that testing be be confined to bona fide training venues and nowhere else.

"In fairness to the Sports Council there was no talk of entering players' homes or places of employments," Ciaran O'Neill, secretary of the GAA's anti-Doping committee said earlier this year.

Players' Association chief executive Dessie Farrell said that testing out of competition was certain to come in.

"After initial concerns, I think the players have come to terms with the inevitability of this," he said. "Drug testing is now part and parcel of things. It's not going to be a huge concern for players."