government grants to GAA players -- not getting into prefessionalism etc

[Uladh]

How many in Offaly az?

[AZOffaly]

I know there used to be at least 3. I couldn't tell you at the moment.

[laoisgaa]

DRA fail to make decision on Government grants case
By Cóilín Duffy

After almost seven hours of talks between the Anti Government Grants movement and the Central Council in Dublin last night, a decision has yet to be announced by the DRA on the issue.

Almost a week after Central Council had sought and earned a postponement of the hearing after the unavailability of new GAA Ard Stiurthoir Paraic Duffy, an agreement has still to be brokered between the parties.

A war of words had developed midweek after GAA PRO Danny Lynch, hit out at the 'Anti-Grants campaigners' saying that "it's extraordinary that an organisation or group of people like 'Of One Belief' would question the integrity of Central Council."

The meeting began late at 7.30pm but with plenty to discuss, only the 'Of One Belief' case had been heard when the sides broke for recess around 10pm at the Radisson Hotel at Dublin Airport.

Both parties and the DRA left the hotel close to 2am without a decision being released, and it is likely that the DRA will make their findings public on Monday or Tuesday of next week, with just days to go before GAA Congress 2008, which begins on Friday in Rosses Point, Co. Sligo.

Motions from Central Council, the Derry County Board and Derry club Faughanvale are among those on the agenda in relation to the Government Grants issue

[Armagh Exile]

Anyone confirm that Armagh voted against the proposal last night.

[Uladh]

Anti-grants motion defeated in capital
08 April 2008


A motion by the St. Joseph's O'Connell Boys club opposing the player grants scheme was comfortably defeated at Monday night's meeting of the Dublin county board.

Having deferred a decision on the matter at last month's meeting, delegates finally heard the case against the proposed scheme, but only 12 voted for the motion which was easily defeated. Had the motion being successful, it would have caused serious embarrassment for GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell who soldiered with the Dubs over many years.

Meanwhile, Mark Conway of the 'Of One Belief' anti-grants lobby has said he is prepared to accept the Disputes Resolution Authority's judgement on their challenge to the legality of the scheme - regardless of the outcome.

The DRA met for six hours last Friday and are expected to make their findings known sometime on Tuesday.

"I'm only speaking in a personal capacity but whatever the judgement is, good or bad from our perspective, I'll accept it. I'm not speaking for everyone, though."

[cornafean]

For a case that according to its proponents is cut & dried and legally watertight, its amazing that the DRA needed the guts of six hours to examine it. 

[quidnunc]

Donegal apparently voting against too.

Some of the big Dublin clubs have been paying for players so long that this scheme is nothing new to them. 

[laoisgaa]

DRA rule in favour of grants

By Cóilín Duffy

The GAA's Dispute's Resolution Authority tonight released a decision on the 'Of One Belief' versus the Central Council Anti-grants issue, which saw all three parties meet for over six hours on Friday night last at the Radisson Hotel in Dublin Airport.

The DRA decided that the grants scheme is not in breach of Rule 11 which governs the GAA's amateur status.

"The Schemes may be a very good idea, and they may be a very bad one," the decision read.

"That is not the question that is appropriate for any Tribunal of the DRA to answer, and it is not before us in this arbitration. We are solely concerned with one question: whether the implementation of the Scheme in this form of itself generates a breach of Rule 11. Our answer to that is that it does not."

"Contrary to what is said on behalf of the Claimants, we may not assume that Central Council will use the Schemes in a manner that achieves a contravention of Rule 11.

"If it were the case that the DRA was excluded from a supervisory role, so that a breach of Rule 11 could go unremedied, that submission might be very persuasive indeed, but that vista does not arise," the statement read.

Understandably Mark Conway of the Of One Belief organisation was disappointed with the ruling.

"We didn't put all of this effort in for nothing," Conway said tonight.

"My reading of the judgement is that they are telling us that we have an honourable defeat here.

However in its interim ruling the DRA also commended the 'Of One Belief' group for their consistent and concerted argument.

"Although unsuccessful in the result, it is clear from the two sets of arbitration proceedings that the Claimants cannot be said to have failed in their endeavours. They have applied their resources in successive bona fide attempts to ensure that no inroads have been made on the amateur ethos, one of the most precious principles of the Association.

"In these and the earlier arbitration proceedings, they have tested every aspect of what was prepared by Central Council. While the bona fides of Central Council to ensure compliance with Rule 11 is not in doubt, the devil's advocate role of the Claimants cannot but have assisted in the multilateral effort that produced the finely-crafted document we have examined in the context of this arbitration."

However Conway was astonished by the DRA's praise despite the ruling going in the Central Council's favour.

"There are various places in it where they seem to pat us on the back," he said.

"That we took the case the right way and it was the proper thing to do and all of that but at the same time we are beaten.

"We didn't go down this road to be beaten because we thought we had a case that stood up but obviously the DRA don't agree with us. That's bitterly disappointing but life is full of disappointments and that's the way it is."

Despite this setback Conway and his colleagues are committed to stay campaigning on the issue right until Friday night with the focus now switching to the grants motions before GAA Congress in Sligo.

"It doesn't help our cause this weekend and if the DRA had come down in our favour that would have given us huge momentum," Conway said.

"At the same time as far as we are concerned the DRA's judgement doesn't change our stance. We thought we were right before we went to the DRA and that's why we went there. Just because they disagree with us, that doesn't change our view."

Meanwhile a decision on costs has yet to be determined.

[Muzz]

[Owenmoresider]

"The Schemes may be a very good idea, and they may be a very bad one," the decision read.

Get off the fence. If it could be very bad, then why go for it?

Found it very hard to resist smashing the TV when Farrell appeared on this evening. Looks as though he has victory in his sights now.

[LaurelEye]

Longford voted no on Monday night, AFAIK.

[Owenmoresider]

Longford voted no on Monday night, AFAIK.

At least youse got to have a vote.

[Shamrock Shore]

Vote in Longford was something like 24 to 9 agin the grants.

[Hound]

"The Schemes may be a very good idea, and they may be a very bad one," the decision read.

Get off the fence. If it could be very bad, then why go for it?

What are ya talking about FFS???

Its irrelevant to the DRA whether its good or bad - thats up to the GAA - and rightly so. The DRA were just ruling on whether it infringed the rulebook.


I'm a bit confused over the reports of votes in various counties. Its been reported that each of Dublin, Donegal, Armagh and Longford all voted no. But in Dublin's case it is clear that it was no to an anti-grants motion, whereas Shamrock Shore seems to be indicating that in Longford's case it was no to a pro-grants motion??

[cornafean]

Dublin voted yes according to the Indo yesterday or Monday.