Kelly backs disputes’ body

SEÁN KELLY has fully backed the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) and insisted yesterday it was the mechanisms of the entire appeal structure, rather than the DRA itself, that required review.

The new disciplinary body had a controversial first summer, with the Mark Vaughan Kilmacud-St Brigid's case in Dublin highlighting some glaring teething problems.

Central Council confirmed on Saturday that the Rules Book Task Force would review the DRA's general operations but Kelly was eager yesterday to stress that Council had also unanimously decided that any DRA decision was final and binding.

He pointed out that the new body had saved the GAA a fortune in fees, while also ending the stream of players "running to the High Court" to seek injunctions.

"It has been a bit of a shock for a lot of members of the Association that they're operating now so quickly and so effectively," Mr Kelly said yesterday.

"Some of the traditional means of doing business have been found to be flawed. What we want to do now is sit down with the DRA and discuss what they think. We want to bring some of the issues that members of the Association would have to them."

One issue of contention is that the fee of 500 for a hearing with the DRA is too small encouraging members to rush through the rest of the appeal structure.

"People think it's too easy to get to the DRA at this point in time," said Kelly.

"We just want to ask them their views, after which we will take a collective decision on how we will progress."

Kelly also insisted yesterday that, contrary to weekend reports, the continued delay in appointing a Director of Hurling was not down to any lack of suitability among the candidates.

The new position was first mooted earlier this year and Kelly announced in July that the Association was on the verge of an appointment.

"Originally we started off with a plan that we would appoint a Hurling Director and then put a scheme in place that he would implement. That has changed somewhat recently because of projects we got in from each of the provinces.

"Each of the provinces set up a committee at its own level and they came back to the HDC (Hurling Development Committee) for plans for each of their provinces. That changed the focus at national level.

"What we are doing now is we are looking firstly at ensuring the projects we have given the go-ahead to have been implemented. Then we need to see where a national director would fit into that. There's no point in pushing an appointment just for the sake of a cosmetic exercise."

On Saturday, Central Council also decided that more football qualifier games would be held outside of Croke Park next season and Kelly said yesterday that it wasn't down to just a question of finances.

"It's partly a cost issue and it's partly got to do with the residents here around Croke Park. Thirdly, if you can have a bigger crowd at a provincial venue, then why bring it to Croke Park?

"We are upgrading the grounds. We are putting floodlighting into a number of them and there is no point doing that if you're going to be playing all your games in Croke Park. It's a question of balance."