GAA releases discussion paper on payments to managers

The GAA has taken its first step towards addressing the situation regarding unregulated payments to managers and management teams, with the publication of a discussion paper written by the Association's director general Páraic Duffy.

The contents of the 29-page document, who was originally presented to the GAA Management Committee some 14 months ago, will be discussed by county officials at a meeting in Croke Park on Saturday.

Duffy wants an "open, frank and honest debate" to take place within the GAA before firm proposals to deal with the question of unregulated payments can be brought forward.

"The growing prominence of managers and management teams and the fees/expenses to which they have access create a clear conflict for the GAA in the context of its core values of amateurism and volunteerism," he wrote.

"The GAA takes pride in presenting itself as the greatest amateur sporting organisation in the world, yet it is the case that GAA members who have

full-time jobs and who should not, therefore, be paid for what they do in the GAA are being paid.

"This issue has come to represent the essential debate about the Association’s amateur ethos - there is no other issue facing the Association that brings into such sharp focus the disparity between what we preach and what we practice.

"And it should be noted that the issue is not confined to county teams: many club team managers who are in full-time employment are also receiving financial rewards.

"That said, it needs to be firmly stated and understood that only some managers are being paid. The GAA can state categorically that many county team and club team managers are not being rewarded financially (beyond, that is, the legitimate expenses they receive for carrying out their functions)."

As regards tackling the issue of 'under the counter' payments within the GAA, Duffy put forward three options - two of which are to 'to implement fully the Association’s existing policy, rules and guidelines on our amateur status', or 'to introduce a system of regulated payments to senior inter county managers'.

He does not feel that option 1 - continuing with the current 'rule-breaking' policy - is viable as the problem with remain 'unsolved' and the Association's rules 'will continue to be flagrantly breached'.

The second option - to crack down on the payments - would involve the setting up of a Registration and Audit Board by Croke Park which would oversee 'the

implementation of all aspects of the payment of fees and expenses to inter county team managers and management teams'.

Duffy splits the third option, introducing a system of regulated payments, into models: a welfare-based model, an expenses model, a provision of services model or a fourth suggestion that the County Board/Provincial Council/Croke Park becomes a formal employer of the team manager.

He suggests that the establishment of regulated payments to managers would create "apprehension among many members of the Association", and that such a move would "surely be met with outright hostility and resistance by some".

The paper also puts forward the need for "the establishment of a Working Group to oversee the formulation of an official GAA policy on the issue of unregulated payments", written submissions to the Working Group and also the formulation of a firm set of proposals by the Working Group.

"While the integrity of the Association's rules and ethos is the primary consideration in undertaking this necessary and overdue reform, self-interest and a modicum of financial competence should also convince those involved in unregulated payments that the days of such financial largesse are long gone," added Duffy.

The full document can be viewed here.