Five-year agreement worth €8.75m

GAELIC GAMES:THE GAA have revealed details of the final recognition protocol of the Gaelic Players Association (GPA), the first five-year agreement being funded to the tune of €8.75 million.

In a sort of bucking of economic trends, the funding will be incrementally increased in each year for the term of the agreement.

Although the agreement must still go before Central Council on February 12th for final approval, this is considered a formality, as the agreement has been worked on over the past 12 months – effectively building on the interim agreement signed back in December of 2009, with formal recognition of the GPA also already agreed at Congress in April of last year.

The agreement therefore essentially structures the GPA’s player welfare programmes over the next five years, and most importantly in terms of the base funding to be provided by the GAA. This begins with funding of €1.5 million for this year, with increments year-on-year over the next five years, up to €2 million in 2015 – including €1.625 million in 2012, €1.750 million in 2013, and €1.875 million in 2014 – for a five-year total of €8.75 million.

It is reckoned two-thirds of the base funding will go directly on the player welfare programmes, and one-third on the operating costs and overheads of the GPA itself – which currently has seven full-time staff and one part-time.

There will also be additional commercial funding. This will be the revenues and the proceeds from a new joint GAA/GPA commercial initiative – which will be reviewed during year three of the agreement. It is envisaged that new commercial revenues will be secured as existing commercial agreements with the GPA expire.

Among the likely implications of this will be the end of the GPA’s players’ awards scheme, after this year, leaving the GAA’s All Stars as the only such scheme.

Any new commercial activities or ventures shall not compete with or damage existing GAA sponsorship or commercial revenue streams.

As of Congress in April of last year, the GAA rulebook now states that the GAA recognises “GPA as the official representative body for intercounty players” (Rule 3.59).

The new agreement is based on several key principles: that the GPA remain an independent body, but also committed to securing and protecting the amateur status of the association. Pay-for-play will never be on the agenda. The GPA will not only deliver the player welfare programmes, but also have the objective to represent the views of intercounty players.

GAA president Christy Cooney defended the decision to agree to incremental increases in funding, year on year, when the current economic climate would suggest overall GAA income may well be down.

“What happens if there’s a hole in the bucket?” asked Cooney. “There is also agreement there that funding can come down. Hopefully, it won’t come down, and because of the joint commercial input that is there, I believe the opportunity will be there to hold the funding to the agreed level.”

GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell added: “I think the GPA has proven to be very resilient, even in difficult economic times. And we would be optimistic that funding increases can be delivered over the years.”

However, the agreement states that in the event of “an appreciable increase or decrease in the GAA’s year on year annual income” then there may be a requirement to either increase or decrease the level of the base funding. What constitutes this “appreciable increase or decrease”, and what consequential percentage increase or decrease is made, will be determined annually by a new, eight-person Joint Review Committee (JRC).

The JRC shall consist of the GAA’s president, director general, head of games, and one further nominee of the GAA president, plus the GPA’s chief executive, chairman, and two further nominees of the GPA chairman.

It’s also agreed that initially the funds will come directly from GAA central funds, and in part through income derived from agreed commercial activity. All existing GPA commercial agreements will be wound down or let expire. Their deal with Club Energise will still run until 2013, while the Opel players awards expires at the end of this summer.

This level of funding payable to the GPA will complement the existing GAA spend on player welfare initiatives and programmes.

In terms of operations, the GPA will continue to have a representative on Central Council, and can now also have representation on sub-committees, work groups and task forces, as decided by the GAA president. Nothing in the agreement interferes with the GAA’s right to communicate with any of its players.

GAA-GPA Agreement

Funding and structure of welfare projects, 2011-2015.

Incremental funding, €1.5 million to €2 million.

GPA commitment to amateur status, voluntary ethos.

Establishment of Joint Review Committee.

Arrangements for dispute resolution.

Agreement review mid 2012.

FUNDING AMOUNTS:

2011: €1.5m

2012: €1.625m

2013: €1.750m

2014: €1.875m

2015: €2m