The John-Connellan led body seeking radical changes to the GAA’s funding model for coaching have been left frustrated after a motion to Congress was ruled out of order for a second time.
Former Westmeath forward, Connellan and his group have called for the GAA to reconsider “in the interest of fair procedures and basic democracy.”
And Connellan has accused the GAA of “sitting idly by” for 15 years while Dublin clubs have “stolen a march” on the rest of the country.
Earlier this week the GAA wrote to the six secretaries of the counties who submitted the motion to say it was again ruled out of order, citing a different rule this time around.
The GAA email stated that the motion: “Goes beyond determining Association policy in broad outline as set down in Rule 3.36 (f) as a function of Congress.”
It added: “However, the committee agreed that because a similar motion had been submitted by a number of other units that the subject matter merits discussion and agreed to forward the Motion to Central Council for consideration.”
This latest twist has annoyed the John Connellan group who highlighted, “the never previously cited perceived rule discrepancy,” and that Central Council, which is not open to the media, is “a closed forum.”
Connellan’s group have already accused the Association of “disrupting healthy and meaningful debate,” and trying to “stymie” the motion after it was rejected initially.
They have pointed out that they sought clarity on the wording of the motion eight months ago, but heard nothing back from the GAA, before being given a week to rework the motion when it was ruled out of order.
Further calls for help in rewording the motion a second time also fell on deaf ears.
If the motion is passed it would see Dublin GAA lose out on €2.2 million in coaching funding over the next five years with the money redistributed to other counties.
The group have also accused the GAA of reneging on claims in 2017 that Dublin’s coaching funding would be addressed, claiming that it actually increased percentage wise in 2020.
They also accused the GAA of launching a review of coaching which “lacks credibility with no detail of planned funding levels or change in the model going forward.”
The review was announced late last year in the lead-in to many County Conventions and Connellan says it resulted in the deferral of many votes.
Six counties still brought the motion on funding reform forward: Galway, Roscommon, Westmeath, Tyrone, Offaly and Clare.
Former Westmeath footballer Connellan and his body are seeking coaching and development funding to be based on the number of registered members in a county.
Their motion has gained widespread support, with 20 counties agreeing to debate it at their annual conventions and 98percent of 435 clubs who responded to a survey backing the move to overhaul the funding model.
Connellan says he can’t understand why his own Athlone club - a major urban area with over 20,000 people and with major plans for more housing - is treated different to a Dublin club.
He insisted his club needs “direct support” to increase participation levels and compete against other sports locally.
Connellan continued “We are now seeing, to cite only a couple of examples, clubs in Galway and Roscommon, expending over €20,000 per annum.
“Entirely of their own funds with no central funding assistance, on the employment of GDOs on a part-time basis only because no matching funding is being provided by the GAA.
“How can this be considered fair and equitable when Dublin GAA have had the benefit of disproportionate levels of assistance to fund such a scheme for approximately the last 15 years?
“How could these counties consider themselves to be competing on a level playing field with Dublin GAA?
“More importantly, however, is why should these clubs and counties not be given the same assistance to develop grassroots Gaelic Games in their localities.
“(To) foster a love for Gaelic Games within their school, provide structures and a mechanism to upskill coaches to the optimum level and ultimately provide a comparable experience of the GAA to children to that which has been experienced by children in Dublin schools and clubs over the last 15 years.
“Why should these clubs and counties be expected to wait any further for your review committee and/or Central Council to take action?
“They have sat idly by for the last 15 years while Dublin GAA and its clubs have stolen a march on the rest of the country.
“Our motion provides for a mechanism to address present inequalities in the funding levels.
"But more importantly, there is also a major retrospective exercise to be done in terms of funding versus Dublin GAA when looking at the last 15 year period.”
Between 2007 and 2018 Dublin GAA received just over €17.9 million in coaching funds, with Cork next best on just over €1.4 million.
Fermanagh GAA were bottom on just over €630,000
The GAA fund 50 percent of the salary of a Games Promotion Officer in Dublin, with the club’s shelling out the remainder.
This type of model has been wheeled out in Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, Louth and Wexford since 2016/17 as part of the GAA’s East Coast project with Antrim GAA also receiving funding for their Belfast project, ‘Gaelfast.’
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