Anger as LGFA increases mileage rates for its officials while players go uncompensated

Higher rates: LGFA president Mícheál Naughton with LGFA chief executive Helen O’Rourke during the GAA Congress at NUI Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome in Bekan, Mayo. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

The LGFA has increased the mileage rate paid to its management committee and those who sit on national subcommittees, at a time when the association does not pay its inter-county players a cent in travel expenses.

The mileage rate increase from 30c to 40c per kilometre was approved at the June meeting of the LGFA Central Council and is paid for journeys undertaken as part of a person’s management or committee role.

The 25% mileage rate increase was agreed following a discussion on the current cost of fuel.

The LGFA management committee includes the current president Mícheál Naughton, Chief Executive Helen O'Rourke, the four provincial presidents, and two national treasurers.

Increasing the mileage rate paid to Central Council delegates was debated at the same meeting, but it was decided to keep the delegate rate at 30c per kilometre given it is the responsibility of each individual county to compensate their Central Council delegates, and most counties are not in a financial position to meet the current 30c rate as it is.

News of the expenses increase for officials follows recent revelations that some inter-county players are spending more than €1,500 a month on fuel commuting to training.

The Irish Examiner revealed last month that the most funding any female player received last year from the €2.4m Government grant to help alleviate costs associated with inter-county activity was €950, a figure that for several wouldn’t cover the cost of one month of fuel.

Privately, inter-county players are seething at the mileage increase paid to top-brass and national committee members, while they do not receive any travel expenses from LGFA coffers.

Ladies football officials who collect gate receipts on inter-county matchdays will also be entitled to claim the increased mileage rate.

The 2019 accounts for the LGFA - the last year pre-Covid when meetings would have been held in-person and therefore necessitated frequent travel on the part of management and committee members - show that €107,211 was spent on ‘Members Expenses’. A separate ‘Wages, PRSI & Expenses’ heading had a spend of €930,481.

Cork dual player Libby Coppinger, who receives no travel expenses for the approximately 45 hours she spends on the road each month getting herself to and from training, told this week’s Southern Star that “you shouldn't be out of pocket for representing your county, but it is a case with a lot of us female players”.

The LGFA introduced a player mileage rate for journeys undertaken on matchdays during the 2020 and 2021 Covid-affected seasons, but this has not been continued in 2022.