Dublin GAA secretary John Costello has said that slashing the county’s funding by almost €450,000 will result in “job losses" and "sale of assets”.
The drop in money allocated to Dublin comes as a result of a new model around how coaching and development funding is to be allocated by the GAA, built around player participation and number of clubs, although it has yet to be implemented.
The shift came after years of pressure on the GAA to curb the previous mechanism on the basis that it was lopsided in Dublin’s favour, with their funding dwarfing that of every other county despite their commercial revenue also far outstripping that of their rivals.
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“The new funding model - and the surreptitious shift in association policy - will result in an annual reduction of €447,978 in coaching funding to Dublin,” wrote Costello in his annual report to the Dublin GAA convention, which takes place on Monday next.
“The consequences of this rationalisation will result in the dismantling of the integrated coaching scheme in Dublin, with resulting job losses and redundancies and the sale of assets.
“And there are real challenges for Gaelic games in Dublin. We have had to meet the challenge of a growing professional international sport in rugby, the ongoing battle with young people who are attracted by the big names and money of soccer and a plethora of other sports and distractions that are likely to be unique to big cities.
“It is a constant battle for the hearts and minds of our young people.”
However, there is a certain irony in Costello’s observations in the context of his signing off his report by thanking some of the county’s commercial partners “including O’Neills, Intersport Elverys, Britvic,Bytex and Peugeot who all provide valuable support to Dublin GAA”, a spread of clientele that is beyond the reach of virtually every other county.
He questioned other aspects of the funding model, suggesting that it had “overextended itself and lost sight of the original intention of this vital funding stream” as he cited the lack of funding towards coaching females at a time when efforts are being made to bring all of the Gaelic games governing bodies under the one umbrella.
He continued: “Our funding from Central Council and the additional €1.1m annual spend from Dublin County Board resources and €21,600 per club, has always targeted young people, especially primary schoolchildren, where coaching, fun and involvement can have a huge impact.
“I am, therefore, surprised and disappointed to be honest, that the new GAA model for funding for coaching and games development is based on registered male players from the age of four to 37 years of age.
“This is a worrying shift in association policy that funding is now being targeted at the older age groups. At a recent meeting attended by the GAA Director of Coaching and Games Development and the Árd Stiúrthóir, we were informed that the Games Promotion
Officers should be working at this age cohort.
“Without wishing to sound glib, does anyone think that investing in coaching for any 30-something is the best way of spending finances?”
Elsewhere, Costello sounded a note of caution around the incoming All-Ireland SFC format, particularly with regard to how teams qualify for the first or second tier along with how many meaningless games the round robin format will throw up, with three teams set to qualify from four-term groups.
He wrote: “Qualification parameters for Sam Maguire that are sure to spark confusion, frustration or even anger if/when it dawns that your county avoided League relegation to Division Three and still ends up in the second-tier Tailteann Cup.
“Why? Because at least one lower division county – courtesy of the vagaries of the Connacht Senior Football Championship draw – is guaranteed to reach a provincial final next year.
“I have posed the question in the past with regards to whether we have been hostage to the restrictions of history and geography and perhaps we will find out over the coming seasons.
“Truth is, as with all big, bold experiments that take a sledgehammer to traditional competition formats, the jury will remain out on the GAA’s new senior football Championship structure for at least one season, and possibly longer.
“To quote just one example, when it comes to the round-robin groups, are there too many matches to eliminate too few teams? Or was this the best option to avoid a glut of dead-rubbers, an obvious risk during the two years of the ‘Super 8s’ experiment?”
While welcoming the news that RTE is set to produce a second highlights programme during next year’s Championships, Costello said that the national broadcaster should go further than that.
“Isn’t it high time that RTÉ not alone satisfied our craving for live action and more highlights, but also gave us a Friday night magazine programme, full of insightful previews, player interviews, debate and colour? Is that too much to ask of our increasingly dominant main player?”
He also questioned the ruling that prevents players from representing their county concurrently in the under-20 and senior Championships, citing the example of Limerick hurler Cathal O’Neill this year, while adding that the shifting underage grades hasn’t been a success.
“Experimentation is always worthwhile in any walk of life but sometimes you have to put your hand up and admit that it didn't work - and so it is, in my opinion, with the under-17 and under-19 grades at club level.
“I welcome the recent decision of the Task Force to decouple these grades from their inter-county equivalent and give counties the autonomy to return to an under-18 competition at club level if they wish to do so, arguably this should also be examined at inter-county level also.”
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