GPA To Get Cut Of GAA Commercial Pie
The contribution that inter-county players make to the commercial success of gaelic games is set to be recognised after the GAA and Gaelic Players Association reached a framework agreement that will kick in next year.
The GAA will stump up €2.5 million towards the core funding of the GPA, or 15% of net Commercial Revenue - whichever is higher - over the three years of the agreement (2017-2019).
This compares to the 2015 figure of €2 million and there will be increases in funding elsewhere.
The mileage rate for inter-county players will go up to between 62.5c and 65c per mile, to a maximum cost of €1.5 million while a nutrition expense worth up to €1.2 million per year will also be introduced.
That money, plus €200,000 to be set aside for surgical interventions for former inter-county players, will come from central GAA funding.
Meanwhile, the GPA will be allowed an additional delegate at Congress and will also have the right to submit one motion to Congress annually.
The full summary of the framework for agreement;
- Enhanced input into policy decisions.
- GPA to have additional delegate to Congress along with ArdChomhairle Rep
- GPA to have right to submit one motion to Congress annually in line with other units
- Creation of a Policy Forum to discuss issues of concern and relevance to the GPA.
- Demands on senior inter-county players.
- New working group of players and administrators established to examine demands on players
- Proposals formulated and presented to Central Council by June 2017.
- Aim of this new group will be to ensure that amateur players can maintain a balance between their personal and professional lives and their club and county careers
- Player Expenses and Reimbursement.
- Review of current document on expenses/gear for approval by Central Council this November.
- Mileage Rate: increase for inter-county players to between 62.5c and 65c per mile (to a maximum total cost of €1.5m).
- Nutrition Expense: new refundable & vouched nutrition expense (to the amount of €1.2 million per year) to be introduced.
- €200,000 to be set aside each year to deal specifically with surgical interventions for former inter county players
- Cost of increases to mainly come from central GAA funding – Central Council to ring-fence funding to counties to assist with these additional costs.
- Core Funding of the GPA - Provision of Welfare/Development Services
- GAA to provide €2.5 million or 15% of net central Commercial Revenue (whichever is higher) in each of the three years of the agreement
- Commercial Revenue i.e. Media Coverage, Sponsorship, Franchising, Licensing
- In 2015 agreement this figure was €2.0 million
- GPA to present outline budget to Central Council annually and provide annual end-of-year report to Central Council outlining how funding was disbursed
- The GAA will nominate a member to the GPA’s Finance Committee and vice versa
- Commercial Partnership (Le Chéile) to be revamped
- New Board to be established including two external non-executive members
- GAA to guarantee additional €800,000 p/a from it to GPA for Player Services
- All GPA commercial activities will be undertaken through this body only;
- All other GPA fundraising limited to dinners etc. in Ireland and overseas.