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Tom Maher/INPHO

GAA request to take Revenue responsibilities from county boards

Frustration had been growing among counties at lack of guidance from GAA HQ.

CROKE PARK IS to take the lead in dealing with reviews by Revenue into GAA activity at county level. 

County chairpersons, secretaries and treasurers were invited to join an online meeting with Croke Park officials last night to get a sense of what impending reviews from Revenue have in store.

In the past week, both Galway and Mayo have stated they will not sign off on their 2024 accounts while they are still in engagement with Revenue. So far, Revenue have not accepted the €119,778 figure that Mayo voluntarily disclosed around Cúl Camp coaches in 2018 and 2019. Galway also have concerns around the same two years while Wexford have made a voluntary disclosure of €55,000 under the heading of team administration.

At last night’s meeting, one county chairperson made it known their displeasure that the GAA had engaged with the media, to which GAA director-general Tom Ryan asked if they would prefer the press were given a ‘no comment’.

Ryan knows stonewalling will not work in a situation where individual counties are liaising with Revenue and need help with potential audits.

A number of delegates at the meeting said they felt cut adrift from the higher reaches of power in the Association; left to do their own work with little or no guidance which has led to the current situation of county boards in financial trouble with a number of ongoing investigations Revenue.

The main thrust of the call was an appeal from the GAA – they want to be able to handle all enquiries from Revenue en bloc. Having 26 different county boards scrambling to offer different solutions has unsatisfactory ramifications.

The feeling is that whatever financial shortcomings county boards may have this time, it will be covered by the GAA’s own funds, with counties being urged to get tighter on everything from 2025.

Whether the same level of autonomy will exist for clubs remains to be seen.

One county representative pointed out that they have a deadline in January to make a payment and asked if they should ignore it, or if the GAA would help them. The response came that they would speak to individual counties off-air, and not on the online call.

The representative then expressed disappointment at the lack of help up to this point from the GAA and the situation they now find themselves in.

Elsewhere, there was dismay from delegates over the GPA charter of expenses for players and potential tax liabilities on certain expenses such as nutrition and mileage. 

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