The Gaelic Players Association welcomes today’s budget announcement that State funding for inter-county player grants is to increase by 28%, bringing the total player fund to €7.2 million. This means the average grant per player will increase to €1,800.
This marks a strong result for players and for our campaign reflecting the credibility of the GPA’s case and the growing recognition of the enormous contribution inter-county players make to the Irish economy and society.
We have had positive and constructive engagement with Minister Patrick O’Donovan, who has reaffirmed his commitment to continue working with players over the lifetime of this Government. The GPA recognises today’s announcement as phase one of a plan to reach €10 million in annual player funding, the target set by players themselves.
In the coming days, we will engage directly with players, Sport Ireland and the National Governing Bodies to discuss how this funding will be structured on a per-player basis.
We would like to put on the record our thanks to Minister O’Donovan, Minister of State Charlie McConalogue, Minister Paschal Donohoe and Minister Jack Chambers along with all the other ministers, TDs, MEPs and government officials who have helped get us to this point.
However, our campaign does not stop here. The GPA will continue to push until inter-county players are fully recognised and supported on par with other elite and high-performance athletes in Ireland, whether that is achieved through the total funding outlined in our campaign or through a combination of direct investment and/or a fair tax-relief scheme for players.
Today is an important step forward but our focus remains firmly on achieving full recognition and fairness for every inter-county player in the country.
