Elderly GAA fans excluded by cashless policy, TD warns

Elderly people who played and “gave their life to the GAA” can’t get into matches if they haven’t pre-booked a ticket, the Dáil has heard.

Independent TD Mattie McGrath has said it was “a very despicable policy” of the GAA.

Tickets for GAA matches can be bought only online in advance with no facilities provided to pay by cash or card at the turnstile. Age Action has previously called on the GAA to reconsider its cashless ticket system in order to assist older supporters.

Speaking on Wednesday, Mr McGrath said the State had become a cashless society as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and organisations refusing to accept cash was becoming more prevalent.

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“I’m shocked and appalled at the GAA and I have been writing to them for nearly 12 months now asking them about the situation whereby elderly people who played and gave their life to the GAA and worked in the clubs and did everything in support of the GAA and they can’t get into a match if they haven’t pre-booked a ticket,” the Tipperary TD said.

“They can buy a programme outside for cash… Some of these people are in their late 70s and 80s and older, in their 90s, and they haven’t the wherewithal, many of them are men of the cloth, many of them are bachelors, people like that, who don’t have any family around them who can do it for them and it’s embarrassing that they can’t have one stall open or one place open.

“It’s a policy obviously of the Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, it’s a very despicable policy as far as I’m concerned and it’s not a good trend to be setting in our country.”

In response, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said ticketing systems were a matter for the GAA rather than Government.

Mr Varadkar said, as a recent report on retail banking pointed out, the Government believed there should be a place for cash.

“We want to encourage electronic payments and lots of older people and lots of bachelors use cards, use phones, use Revolut, and are well capable of doing so,” he said.

“But I appreciate there are some people who want to continue to use cash. Cash remains legal tender in this State and we want to make sure that that is facilitated where it can be.”