Secret paper goes to boards

COUNTY boards will shortly receive the amended version of GAA Director General Páraic Duffy’s discussion paper on payments to managers.

The document, which was discussed at Friday’s management committee meeting in Croke Park, will be circulated among counties possibly before the end of the month.

It’s unclear whether a discussion forum involving all county chairmen, secretaries, treasurers and Central Council delegates, as stated by GAA President Christy Cooney, will be organised before he steps down from office in April.

It looks increasingly like a task force will be established to recommend one of the options set out by Duffy in the paper.

However, county boards will have to be intrinsically involved in the process as it will be incumbent upon them and their clubs to subscribe to whatever option is eventually backed.

The paper wasn’t mentioned at a meeting of county chairmen and secretary at Croke Park on Saturday morning but it’s understood they will be forwarded Duffy’s new document as soon as possible.

It’s also believed Duffy, in the paper, outlines an option to set up a tiered payment structure for managers excluding expenses.

It remains to be seen whether the contents of the paper will be released to anyone other than the county board officials.

But 14 months after he first issued the secret document to management committee, there has at last been some indication the GAA is willing to accept Duffy’s strenuous belief that the issue has to be addressed.