GAELIC GAMES GOVERNMENT DECISION ON CAPITAL SPORTS GRANTS: THE GAA says that many projects will have to be scaled back in the light of the Government decision to make no capital sports grants available for this year but denies that infrastructural development will be brought to a halt.

The association’s operations manager Feargal McGill was reacting to the news that emerged earlier this week when the Minister for Sport Martin Cullen admitted under questioning by his Fine Gael shadow and Mayo football manager John O’Mahony TD in the Dáil that the Government will not provide any funding for the sports capital grant this year.

“If clubs are planning development projects they will probably have to be scaled down if they are counting on grant aid. The GAA has benefited very well from the years of the Tiger economy and so it’s no surprise that we can expect a fall-off in funding in the current economic environment.

“But these projects were grant aided not fully funded so we would expect clubs to continue raising their own funds for less extensive development projects rather than just abandon them.”

He said that the GAA will be formulating a response. On the Department website the list of grant allocations for 2008 shows that GAA units received the best part of €20 million in funding for various development projects throughout the 26 counties.

McGill also pointed out that throughout the GAA’s history there have been peaks and troughs in terms of what work was undertaken by clubs and that the current phase of intensive work goes back to the impetus provided 25 years ago by the association’s centenary year.

“There have been various periods in the GAA’s history when there has been great development and others when there has been very little. For a long time up until the 1980s there wasn’t a great deal of progress made in terms of infrastructural development but around 1984 (centenary year) there was a revival.”

The Department announcement begs the question as to what will happen to funds raised by the national lottery if these grants are effectively suspended for 2009.

According to the National Lottery Act (1986): Section 5 (1) Moneys paid into the Central Fund pursuant to section 8 of this Act shall be applied for – (a) the purposes of such one or more of the following, and in such amounts, as the Government may determine from time to time, that is to say, sport and other recreation, national culture (including the Irish language), the arts (within the meaning of the Arts Act, 1951) and the health of the community, and (b) such (if any) other purposes, and in such amounts, as the Government may determine from time to time. (2) Whenever a purpose is determined under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of this section, notice of the purpose shall be published in Iris Oifigiáil.

O’Mahony’s response to Minister Cullen’s disclosure was highly critical. “While I accept we are all in a tight budgetary situation, there should be some allocation for the sports capital grant for 2009. As I pointed out to the Minister in the Dáil, the scheme has been a huge success and abolishing it for 2009 will have dire consequences. The benefits of providing grants such as these are felt way beyond the playing field, exercise yard or sports hall.

“The sports grant ultimately yields far more for the State than the small amount that is paid out. For example, it costs €250,000 a year to maintain a prisoner in Portlaoise Prison, €100,000 in Mountjoy and €90,000 in St Patrick’s Young Offenders Institution. It has been shown that young people who are involved in sport are far less likely to engage in anti-social or criminal activity so reducing sports grants ultimately reduces their chances.

“While I could accept that there would be a reduction in funding, to think there is no funding at all in 2009 for these sports organisations up and down the country is nothing short of a disgrace.”

Meanwhile, the Dublin County Board will publish a special commemorative match programme to mark the official launch of the GAA’s “125” celebrations, which begin tomorrow with the opening National Football League fixture at Croke Park between Dublin and Tyrone. The 116-page production includes a Tom Humphries interview with Dublin team manager Pat Gilroy and features with Tyrone manager Mickey Harte and Dublin captain David Henry.

Harte has named an experienced side for the game, handing out one debut, to Augher’s Aidan Cassidy. A tantalising prospect is the attacking partnership of Stephen O’Neill and Footballer of the Year Seán Cavanagh, who have both been named in the full forward line, with Owen Mulligan completing the inside unit. Martin Swift, who went to the USA early last year, is back in the defence.

TYRONE (SF v Dublin): J Devine, M Swift, Justin McMahon, M McGee; D Harte, R McMenamin, P Jordan; E McGinley, A Cassidy; T McGuigan, C McCullagh, Joe McMahon; S O’Neill, S Cavanagh, O Mulligan.