Players' tax breaks possible, says Kelly

THE GAA are to enter into talks with the Government on the issue of tax incentives for players.

The move follows the failure of the GPA's tax-break plan to get past the committee stage of this year's Finance Bill. The Department of Finance announced last Friday that GAA players will not be included in the tax exemptions available for professional athletes.

But GAA President Sean Kelly, whose office supports tax breaks for inter-county players, believes something can still be worked out.

"We will be speaking with the government to see what can be done," Kelly said. "Maybe Dessie Farrell would not agree, but you need some kind of committee looking at this, both from the players' perspective and the Department of Finance perspective. And it needs to be looked at for a long time before they come up with something that is totally fool-proof."

While the GPA has threatened a public protest over Mr McCreevy's decision last Friday, Kelly has called for a reasoned approach to the issue.

"Obviously, it is something that the GAA would like to see happening. It would be good to work out an equitable system that is tax compliant. But it is going to take time.

"The final arbiters are the Department of Finance and they weren't entirely happy it was fool-proof. But, if there is a willingness at political level to work something out, I am certain it will happen in due course."

He also expressed hope that there can be greater communication between his office and the players in this, his second year in office.

"As of now, we haven't made any decision regarding the players' committee. Obviously, we would like to have more on-going communications with current players. As things stand, people representing them mightn't represent what I want and I want a mechanism whereby they would have a straight access to us and we would have a straight access to them."

Meanwhile, the top GAA club talents in the country were honoured in the AIB Bankcentre in Ballsbridge yesterday when the key players from each of the provincial champions received awards.

Ben O'Connor, so important in Newtownshandrum's remarkable run to the hurling final, captured the Munster hurling award.

Yesterday, he was fielding questions about Newtown's special style, which can leave supporters fretting at times.

"Even our fans have been roaring and screaming at us sometimes, saying what are you doing, but you are always going to make the scores no matter what type of style you play.

"We have always played this style of short passing, holding onto the ball. It is kind of like football really. And it has worked."

An Ghaeltacht's Tomas Ó Sé won the footballing award. Galway star Micheal Meehan who has notched 5-37 for Caltra en route to the All-Ireland final, received the Connacht football award. Portumna's Ollie Canning, won the hurling accolade.

Dunloy's Darren Quinn and The Loup's Johnny McBride were the Ulster award winners in hurling and football. In Leinster, St Brigids' Rory Gallagher and Martin Comerford of O'Loughlin Gaels were also rewarded

Meehan's former teacher, Fr Oliver Hughes, secured the Games Development award, for his trojan work with St Jarlaths over the years, bringing them to 10 Hogan Cup finals. Noreen Lynch of Limerick won the hurling award for her work with Mary Immaculate college in the city.