New player welfare services announced

IT WAS an unusual sight, the GAA president Christy Cooney sitting next to Dessie Farrell, chief executive of the Gaelic Players Association (GPA).

Not so long ago they wouldn’t be seen together in the same building, let alone the same room – but Croke Park is home to both associations now, and was the stage yesterday for the announcement of seven new welfare services for intercounty players.

Both Cooney and Farrell had to defend these services as being non-elitist, even though only intercounty players will benefit – particularly in light of the recent termination of physiotherapy cover under the GAA’s own injury scheme.

The new services will be funded under the €1.1 million announced last November for player welfare schemes under the interim merger agreement between the GAA and the GPA, which still has to be formally approved at next month’s Congress – before a longer-term agreement is drawn up by next October.

“It is an intercounty scheme,” said Farrell, “but perhaps in the future certain components of different schemes may trickle down to the club player. But to try to accommodate every player in the country is just not possible. It would be very difficult to produce programmes that would cover everyone.

“But if you look at this, everyone from the Kilkenny to the Donegal to the Louth hurlers will benefit. In the past we were accused of being elitist because of the perception that we were only top-team focused. But if anything it’s the lower profile teams, who are far from elite, who stand to benefit most from these programmes.

“To be fair, most of the top squads are still well-catered for in player welfare, at least in the traditional sense. But definitely the bar has been raised for the lower profile countries . . .”

Cooney described the services as a “historic day” for the GAA, and a “recognition of how we can work together, and the work we’ve undertaken in the last few months”. He also declared he was “more than confident” the long-term agreement with the GPA would be achieved by next October, and that “the commitment of funding is there, whether or not it is spent in year one”.

The first seven services focus on education, career training and health, with two further phases of services planned before the end of the year. Farrell said delivering such services in agreement with the GAA was the best option.

“Definitely,” he said. “It had to be. We knew what needed to be done, but we just weren’t in a position to do it ourselves.

“It was important, the partnership approach, because ultimately that comes down to funding, and providing the services we want to provide. And I think this sends out a really strong, positive signal, that no longer are players and administrators at each other’s throat.

“This also gives life to the interim agreement on official recognition, as announced last November. This is the first manifestation of that, the roll-out of the practical benefits for the players.

“In the past we had a narrow focus of what player welfare involved, in terms of boots, the gear, the preparation for the games themselves. But player welfare is not just about those basics. It’s also about putting support structures in place. It took some time for us all to be on the same wavelength in relation to that aspiration, but we got there.

“It is a giant step forward, and that’s no exaggeration. The potential for this partnership is immense, and there are endless possibilities. The career service is quite topical at the minute. We’re acutely aware of the recession, and how that has affected many intercounty players.

“So this is one service we are particularly keen on. We’re trying to equip players as best we can with the tools, skills and confidence to seek out that employment they so badly need.

Similarly with the personal counselling service. Also the educational advice, because a lot of players are now looking to go back into education.”

Last month, the GAA announced the termination of physiotherapy cover for players except in post-operative circumstances – a move taken by the association’s insurance work group as one of a number of measures designed to address a deficit of around €1 million in the injury scheme’s funding. Cooney defended this move, even though it was one of the main welfare benefits for club players.

“We had a review of the scheme,” said Cooney, “to ensure it would be viable. But the whole area of player injury scheme is something we want a complete review of. We need a good scheme, but . . . we had to make sure the scheme was viable. But it was never the intention, to undermine, or not support the ordinary club player. Far from it.”

Farrell agreed the cut in physiotherapy cover could be viewed as somewhat discriminatory: “It’s a difficult issue, and I do understand the complexities around the scheme, and the cost involved. We’re in a climate now where costs are being looked at . . . I’m a club player myself and for a lot of club players that was the front line of the injury scheme. But when you look at the figures, the vast majority of funding in the scheme went on loss of earnings.”

Phase One

1–Career Service

2–Job Interview Skills

3–Educational Advice

4–Scholarships

5–Personal Counselling

6–Referee Defibrillator Training

7–Benevolent Fund