GAA moves to reassure referees over expenses

The GAA was yesterday forced to calm fears about a reduction in club referees’ match expenses after Longford officials withdrew their services.

In what could be seen as an attempt to appease whistleblowers, Croke Park officials confirmed counties’ previous match rates would stand as they discuss taxation issues with the Revenue.

Longford’s referees voted on Monday evening to take strike action against the proposed flat rate of €13.71 and 50c per mile mileage.

It came 24 hours after Wexford had also elected for the nuclear option only to withdraw the threat after being guaranteed their rates would be the same as last year — €50 per senior championship game and €30 per underage fixture.

Waterford officials had also been informed on Saturday there would be no change in their expenses from last year.

The messages conveyed by Wexford and Waterford board officials to referees are in line with a Croke Park statement released yesterday evening.

It read: “The GAA can confirm that further talks will take place with Revenue on the procedures for the taxation, if any, of referee match payments.

“In the meantime, the GAA’s existing arrangements for payments to referees will apply.”

However, the statement is in conflict with what had been articulated by Croke Park finance officials in recent weeks to counties.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland yesterday, Longford’s referees’ coordinator Joe O’Brien said: “I was at a meeting in Leinster last Wednesday night and we had a representative from Croke Park down. She said, ‘this [new expenses] was effective from then’, and everyone from last weekend had to carry out the function of the €13.71 plus mileage. I have a huge issue with that as it brings the integrity of the referee in question, and that is not a road I would like to see referees having to go down.”

Longford’s referees are expected to meet with county board officials this evening but are now likely to withdraw their strike action.

However, Gaelic Match Officials (GMAO) secretary Alan Nash said referees across the country remain concerned they will have to foot tax liabilities at the end of the year. He responded positively to the GAA’s statement but warned referees will remain unconvinced until the Revenue clarifies the whole area.

“We would like an undertaking that there are no referees going to get a tax bill. But as long as the possibility of a tax liability hangs over the referees for their expenses at the end of 2012, there will be worry.”

National Referees Association chairman Mick Curley admitted referees are concerned they face a potential drop in expenses.

However, he doesn’t believe they will turn away from the association if that turns out to be the case, a point backed up at least by the decision of Roscommon’s referees on Monday not to strike.

“I’m not aware of any other county referees who have taken that stance at the moment,” he said of the Longford situation. “It’s early stages and I hope it wouldn’t come to that.

“A drop in expenses — that would be a concern. But it’s a matter of implementing the laws that are there are at the moment and the GAA is no different. I’d be loathe to say that referees will retire as a result. I don’t think they’d pull away like that.”