Farrell looks to 'recognition talks'

The announcement of the resolution of the Government, GAA and GPA talks has been welcomed by all concerned. The launching of the players' award schemes is the culmination of a long campaign for material recognition on the part of the players' representative body.

With the threat of a players' strike now lifted - the GPA executive is expected to formalise that at its next meeting - the GAA is also happy. Association negotiator Con Hogan, who together with director general-designate Páraic Duffy represented Croke Park in the talks, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome.

"We were happy in the key area, that it's not in any way pay-for-play. No GAA money will be spent and it will be ring-fenced against any other funding for the GAA from the Irish Sports Council."

Commenting on the fact the final sum was lower than the amount originally mentioned by the last Minister for Sport, John O'Donoghue, Hogan said: "The €5 million was always notional but €3.5 million is as much as the Government were prepared to give."

GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell said the successful outcome to the talks was a significant advance for the players' organisation. "It's an important day for the GPA and we're very pleased. This was never just about money but a matter of recognition for players. It clears the air so that we can get the recognition talks with Croke Park sorted out. This has been such a high-profile issue that it's given the impression that we're all about money so now we have the opportunity to talk about other important matters.

"We can't be going from one confrontation to another. It's not the way to build a healthy relationship with Croke Park. Other sports don't have that friction between the players' organisations and the governing body."

The Minister for Sport, Séamus Brennan, welcomed the resolution in an interview on RTÉ Radio One's News at One, saying he believed the deal was "fairly affordable". "These are young people who give enormous amounts of time to sport and they do so on a voluntary basis. It's not for nothing because one deal I wanted out of this - and I was delighted I got it - was the commitment of the players that they would work with local sports partnerships through the community and visit schools."

Questioned about the status of women players, who are members of different organisations, the Minister said that that would be a matter for the camogie and women's football associations.

"We are establishing a forum on women's participation in sport and we're commencing that project. This is a particular scheme negotiated over a number of weeks and aimed at a particular group of players. If other players want to make a case to the Sports Council then they can go along and do that."

Geraldine Giles, president of Cumann Peil na mBan, said her organisation would be reserving their position for the time being before commenting on the Minister's proposed forum.

"I think we'll monitor the situation," she said. "I didn't hear the Minister's interview but we'd like to see what details there are of his proposals. In the meantime we're currently rolling out our strategic plan and that's where our focus will be over the coming weeks."

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte, who had said that he would have continued to field teams in the event of a players' strike, welcomed news of the resolution. "I think we should all learn from this, that we should keep the lines of communication open, we should try to understand each other's position, and not act in isolation within any part of the association," he said.

"To me, even the threat of a strike was not a good idea, so I'm delighted now that it's not going to be an issue, and that people have sorted out what needs to be sorted out just now."

"It would have been a distraction for players preparing for the new season.

"Everybody who is waiting for the new season to start wants players who are really ready for the new season. They don't want them to be in two minds - whether there is going to be a game or not going to be a game, are we really preparing for a competition or are we preparing to stand outside it."