Debate continues over payments to managers

GAA county chairmen and secretaries will return to Croke Park on Saturday for the next round of debate in the payment to managers debate which has been a major topic of discussion in recent times.
When the topic was raised at a recent meeting of Clare GAA, the majority view of the club representatives was to support a system of “structured payments with proper expenses”
Many of the speakers pointed out that payment to managers is taking place but expressed fears that the next step would be payment to club managers and then players.
In a discussion document recently the association’s director general, Padraic Duffy presented three options: (1) to continue the current policy whereby the association is aware that its rules are being broken but do nothing about it; (2) to implement fully the association’s existing policy, rules and guidelines on its amateur status or (3) to introduce a system of regulated payments to senior inter-county managers.
Officials representing Kerry, Kilkenny and Galway will tell Saturday’s meeting they are in favour of option two.
Should this week’s meeting go for this option it would lead to the setting up of a registration and audit board.
Every year county boards and all clubs would register detailed information concerning the management teams of inter-county and club teams to include the names of team manager and all members of the management team, the support personnel and the professional medical/welfare team as well as the home address, date of birth, contact details and PPS number of the team manager and all members of the management team.
All county boards would have to appoint a senior officer as their dedicated registration officer and all boards would have to register the full and complete details of the fees and expense rates applicable to the team manager and all members of his management team. They would also have to include a statement of all benefits in kind or incentives such as holidays abroad or training camps.
A lot of counties have yet to make known their views on this subject and some were holding meetings this week when they will make their views known to those who will represent them on Saturday.
Whatever the final result, it is clear that the association is going to come up with official guidelines on this thorny subject in the very near future.