The GAA have described as "opportunistic" yesterday's call by the Gaelic Players' Association for Croke Park to address the issue of players' remuneration in the light of the agreement reached for the staging of rugby and soccer internationals.
In their statement the GPA welcomed the confirmation that rugby and soccer internationals would go ahead at Croke Park next year but pressed the case for players' "reimbursements" and called on the GAA to support the players' campaign for "Government funding through the sports grants scheme".
"We also welcome the additional revenue - up to €10,000,000 - that will be generated by the GAA next year," the statement continued.
"While no details of any future arrangements have been forthcoming, players now have confirmation of the GAA's potential to add to its revenue streams. In light of our ongoing negotiations with the GAA over intercounty player reimbursements, this potential is significant."
The statement also includes remarks by GPA secretary and Armagh captain Kieran McGeeney: "Because of the additional revenue guaranteed to Croke Park next year," he is quoted as saying, "the GAA is now going to come under further pressure from players to address the remuneration issue and we urge the GAA to actively support our campaign to secure Government funding via the sports grants scheme.
"Given the symbolism of professional rugby and soccer games going ahead at Croke Park, failure to secure funding will further alienate our members who are already greatly angered with the slow rate of progress on this issue."
Danny Lynch, the GAA's PRO and their most senior official not travelling on the All Stars tour that departed for Singapore yesterday, responded to the statement critically, pointing out that the relevant rental income for Croke Park is only temporary given the GAA have agreed to lease the ground only while Lansdowne Road is being redeveloped.
"This is an opportunistic reaction because the monies from the FAI and IRFU is not a long-term revenue stream but a short-term arrangement that can't be depended on in perpetuity.
"The GAA's accounts are audited and open to everyone and show that after grants to provinces and counties, the bottom line is break-even or at best a small surplus."
He also said that he wasn't surprised to see the issues linked but rejected the validity of the argument.
"I think many people predicted that one of the side-effects of the Rule 42 debate would be that it would be used by the GPA and by elements in the media to support this agenda. I myself forecast that this would happen as sure as night follows day.
"There is no connection whatsoever between Croke Park being used for soccer and rugby and the GPA's aspirations to get a sports grant. Irrespective of what spin the GPA put on it, the resources being spent on players in terms of training costs and other expenses are rising all the time.
"Anyone can see that counties' expenditure on this is going up not by percentages but by hundreds of percentages and a number of counties are nearly insolvent as a result."
The GPA have recently changed tack on the pay-for-play issue with prominent officials advocating some form of material recognition for the demands involved in intercounty football and hurling.
Previously the players' union had concentrated their efforts on securing public funding in the form of tax credits and when that was deemed unworkable by the Department of Finance because of the amateur status of players, through sports grants.
Yesterday's statement drew a parallel between Gaelic games players, who have filled the new Croke Park for the past 10 years for no reward, and the professional soccer and rugby players who will be doing so in just over 12 months.
"Our elite athletes in the GAA, we believe, rank alongside the best in other codes, stars who will now be on show to the Irish sports fan in the home of the GAA. The development and modernisation of the association is not just reflected in capital, bricks and mortar but also by the huge strides made by county panels in the last decade in the pursuit of higher goals and excellence.
"This has helped make Gaelic games in Croke Park as attractive as any sport to the paying public. Next year we will share a pitch with professionals and, we believe, few will notice the difference."
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