Schools referees on Revenue’s radar

Referees at schools level in Gaelic games, rugby, soccer and other sports are set to be affected by new Revenue guidelines.

The Irish Examiner has seen correspondence which instructs schools to process any referees’ fees through their payroll system “with appropriate deduction of taxes”.

While referees who claim for travel and sustenance at the agreed civil service rates are not subjected to tax so along as he/she is not receiving any payment or fee, those who do can now expect to be asked for the Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers and bank details.

Not only does the clarification from the Revenue indicate that referees may step away from games, it would also suggest fee or expenses-receiving match officials at all levels of sports could do the same.

Earlier this month, the Irish Examiner reported the GAA’s provincial councils had seen a drop-off in casual match-day workers such as stewards because of new conditions set out by Revenue.

Previously, the commissioners had agreed a rate of 28.5% with the GAA units for “ease of administration” but that is no longer the case and workers are taxed at their own personal tax rate. As well as losing stewards, the need to replace them for health and safety reasons with agency workers has contributed to costs.

Referees in some GAA counties have been asked for the PPS numbers but refused on the basis of expert advice that such information should only be furnished to their employers. Mileage-wise, GAA referees currently receive 50 cent per mile. Expenses range from county to county with as much as €50 provided for a senior championship game. Eight years ago, Longford referees withdrew their services when a flat expenses rate of €13.71 was proposed only for the previous arrangements to be later reinstated.

The GAA are suffering a shortage of referees. In December, Carbery warned clubs their “programme of games will be cut” if more match officials aren’t forthcoming. Two years ago, the numbers had hit crisis level in Clare and Limerick.

At Tuesday’s Tipperary board meeting, competitions control committee secretary Tom Maher remarked: “I am really worried about the referees in the county — not about the quality of the referees, but about the quantity of referees.”

Meanwhile, it was confirmed yesterday that the proposed development of Casement Park will cost approximately £110m (€129m), £33m (€38.7m) more than the initial figure. That is the total that Ulster GAA had foreseen last year.

Northern Ireland Minister for Communities Deirdre Hargey revealed the budget had jumped because of inflation during the six-year delay, changes to the original plan and added consultation fees.

Confirming that she was in talks with Finance Minister Conor Murphy, Hargey also said she was speaking to the GAA, who two weeks ago said they didn’t envisage contributing more than the £15m (€17.5) mentioned at the outset. The Stormont Assembly has pledged £62.5m (€73m).

Bitten by the Páirc Uí Chaoimh reconstruction controversy, Croke Park is slower to provide additional funding but they may have to as the capacity of of the venue has already been downsized from 38,000 to 34,000 and they have stressed it can’t be reduced further.