Group against grants get DRA hearing

GAA NEWSOPPONENTS OF the proposed grants for county players have secured another hearing with the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA), scheduled for March 14th. In a resubmission by the Of One Belief group, it will focus on Central Council's decision to submit a motion to next month's congress for final approval of the grants.

"We're going back because of two basic things," says Mark Conway, one of the founding members of the Of One Belief group. "First, we don't think the GAA centrally has lived up to the commitments it gave at the last hearing back in January. That's something we take no pleasure in.

"And second, we believe that Central Council's motion asking congress to say it's 'satisfied' the grants/awards don't break Rule 11 has no standing at all in GAA Rule. Congress makes rules. It's not there to say it's 'satisfied' specific things don't break specific rules."

Conway maintains that Rule 11, which refers to the GAA's amateur status, is affected by the proposed grants, and therefore should be subject to a rule change at congress, which requires a two-thirds majority if the grants are to be approved.

"We want the DRA to decide on this, because as far as we're concerned, this is black and white, and by paying players, no matter how or where that money comes from, Rule 11 is infringed. And if this motion is to go to congress then we want to make sure it goes in the right way."

Conway is also objecting to a request from the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) chief executive Dessie Farrell to attend the DRA hearing: "The GPA is not part of the GAA. The DRA has no jurisdiction over the GPA. This is a case between two parts of the GAA . . . It's got nothing to do with third parties. So our view is we'll be keeping it properly 'in house'."

Last month, Of One Belief submitted an initial request to the DRA to have the grants issue examined, but this was adjourned when Central Council argued that an agreement had not been reached at its meeting on December 8th.

In the meantime, Central Council is due to complete the mechanism for the distribution of the grants in time for its next meeting, set for March 17th, and which will then go before congress on April 11th/12th for final approval.

However, on Monday the GAA's director general Páraic Duffy indicated that the question of amending Rule 11 would not arise in the context of the grants debate at congress.

Meanwhile, the Kerry County Board has voted against a resumption of the International Rules series. Kerry chairman Jerome Conway said: "The overriding concern of the delegates was the safety of the players playing for Ireland and because this could not be guaranteed, Kerry will be voting against the return of the Australian Compromise series."

Last week, Antrim and Down both came out against the resumption of the series, despite the new rules and guidelines, though Dublin are in favour.