Cavan GAA chairman warns integration timeline is ‘ambitious’
WORRIES: Cavan GAA chairman Mark O'Rourke on integration: 'The concern is around the finance of county teams and that hasn't been dealt with.' Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Cavan chairman Mark O’Rourke says the financial aspect of integration has yet to be addressed and the timelines around the process are “ambitious”.
The steering committee on integration’s roadshow moves to Munster and SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday night after the Ulster stage of the information briefings took place in Tyrone last Thursday.
There, similar points to those made at last month’s Leinster roadshow gathering in Croke Park were aired about the cost of merging the GAA, Ladies Gaelic Football and Association and The Camogie Association.
O’Rourke pointed out Cavan GAA have an agreement in place for the use of their facilities with ladies football and camogie, while they are part of plans to redevelop pitches in Kingspan Breffni.
However, he reiterated Wexford chairman John Kenny's claim that the national steering committee have yet to discuss the funding mechanisms for teams at county level.
“The meeting on Thursday night, it was fine. It gave an outline of how committees might look and the structure of committees might look going forward, but the concern is around the finance of county teams and that hasn't been dealt with or there hasn't been any of that yet.
“I think that is a concern for everybody and that has to be outlined or has to be sorted. Everybody is in agreement in principle with integration and making sure it happens.”
The current consultation period concludes in June and the steering committee envisage Special Congresses taking place in the three organisations later this year to vote in motions on structures, membership and constitutions.
Further motions pertaining to national structures will be tabled for next year’s Congress, a new single membership is earmarked for April 2027 and it is hoped Congress 2028 will be the first “fully integrated” Congress of the new GAA.
First revealed at the Leinster roadshow, the feasibility of those dates have been questioned at county level. O’Rourke said: “The timelines that are being put forward I would say are probably ambitious. But it's going to have to start somewhere and you have to put some kind of a timeframe on it. But yeah, I would say it's ambitious.”
O’Rourke is the latest GAA county chairperson to raise questions about the integration process. In recent weeks, Kenny and Waterford’s Neil Moore have highlighted issues. They follow others such as Laois’ PJ Kenny, Patrick O’Sullivan in Kerry and Galway’s Paul Bellew who has stressed integration will suffer it is “rushed in”.
Speaking at Congress last Friday week, Moore remarked: “From my own personal point of view and dealing with the Waterford County Board, we would have concerns about the integration process and the manner in which it’s been handled and the lack of communication about the process.”
At Thursday’s meeting, Ulster LGFA chairperson Eileen Jones raised the future of the full-time staff in her province. There were reassurances given that they will be needed in the new GAA.
The fourth and final roadshow event takes place for Connacht counties in The Landmark Hotel in Carrick-on-Shannon on Thursday, March 19.
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