Séamus Pattison (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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We will begin with Deputy Wall as there is a Minister with responsibility for the issue present in the House.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That is more of it.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this very important issue. The last days of April herald two things, the commencement of the GAA football and hurling championships and the end of the administration of this Government. One might ask what the two have in common. Anybody vaguely interested in sport will know that as we commence one and end another, this Administration has not concluded its agreement with the Gaelic Players Association.

Over a long period of time, the Government has promised to deliver but this has not happened. It made a promise to the point that a figure of €5 million was mentioned over a period of time not only by the Minister concerned, Deputy O'Donoghue, but by the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern. Both stated that when an agreement was reached by the GAA central council and the GPA, the Government would not be found wanting. The mechanism was agreed over a series of meetings and negotiations, and it was to operate through the infrastructural capital grants programme. Importantly, this would protect the amateur status of the players involved. After very difficult negotiations by the GAA bodies, the final agreement was reached, but the Government has now been found wanting and has, to date, not honoured its commitments or indicated a "Yes" or "No" to the proposals.

Why has this happened after making a promise to the Gaelic Players Association, members of which week in and week out provide so many men, women and especially children with wonderful entertainment in the four provinces of the island? In the last days of this Administration, will the Minister not honour the agreement reached? Why would he not do this for a group that forgoes so much to have the honour of wearing the county jersey and which plays such a major part as wonderful ambassadors and role models for the hundreds of thousands of children who so faithfully follow their county and its players through thick and thin, week in and week out?

In examining the Government's failure so far to honour its commitments, one must question the motives behind such a decision, if it is to be final. Is it an issue of equality or finance? Has the Government decided it does not represent value for money? If the issue is one of equality, it must be addressed, and the GPA would doubtlessly agree. The Government should not hide behind the issue but instead should state the facts that must be addressed to progess this matter to a successful conclusion. One would have thought that such matters would have been considered when the Minister and the Taoiseach discussed this matter and decided to agree on it so many months ago. Alternatively, did they take a gamble that the GAA and GPA would not agree, the result being that they are now between a rock and a hard place?

The second consideration — value for money — does not bear thinking about. When one is involved at this level of sporting commitment, one can immediately see what players forgo. This includes overtime opportunities, family and social occasions, educational opportunities and holidays, especially where a player has young children. There are also extra personal costs incurred. There are personal losses in each case. In many instances there are even greater problems, such as when a young family has a large mortgage, for example.

There is no doubting the commitment of all concerned in the presentation of our national games at this level and their inestimable value to our society as a whole. As I have already stated, the players are role models for our children and communities. The value to the Exchequer each week is also very large. Although I have never seen a valuation, such activities would play a major part in the annual returns for the Government of the day. I have no doubt the €5 million in question would be a very small fraction of the overall returns compared to the income that such games generate for the Exchequer.

I therefore ask that in its final days this Administration should honour the commitments of the Taoiseach and the Minister to the GAA and the GPA. The Minister should meet representatives from both associations and finally underpin the agreement which the Government indicated it would honour when the associations agreed a procedure to permit such a payment. This would overcome the problems and meet the deserved demands of the GPA, and of so many who give so much in the cause of entertainment.

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Wall for raising this matter on the Adjournment and for the opportunity to address the issues involved on behalf of the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue. I would like to outline the background to this issue, which has generated significant debate in the media in recent weeks.

The Minister has had a number of meetings with both the GAA and the Gaelic Players Association at which player welfare issues for intercounty players were discussed. At these meetings and in subsequent letters to both the GAA and the GPA, the Minister has set out the position of the Government on this issue. The Minister has stated that he does not intend to provide direct funding to meet the costs either of direct grants to GAA players or of player welfare policies. This responsibility rests with the GAA in the same manner as similar player welfare issues in other sports must be dealt with by the responsible national governing body of sport. In this context it is the exclusive prerogative of the association to decide how it manages and funds such issues, and the Minister does not intend to influence the GAA as to the nature or cost of any new player welfare supports it may introduce.

The Minister has previously indicated, however, that in the event of agreement being reached between the GAA and the GPA on additional player welfare supports, he would be prepared to provide additional funding to the GAA on an annual basis, either through the existing sports capital programme administered by his Department in respect of prioritised infrastructural projects, or through additional funding by the Irish Sports Council in respect of games development, or a combination of both.

Any moneys provided under these programmes would have the effect of freeing up existing moneys within the association to meet the additional costs of agreed player welfare issues. Although the Minister indicated that an amount of €5 million could be set aside, he has also stated that it would be premature to lock into any particular funding mechanism or formally commit to any specific amount of such funding until such time as detailed costed proposals were submitted to him by the GAA under the headings of infrastructure and games development and considered by his Department. As any financial support to be provided by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism would be considered in the context of the additional costs to the GAA of new player welfare supports, the Minister has outlined to the association that he would have to be satisfied as to the extent and nature of such supports, taking into account the ultimate responsibility of the GAA for funding such supports, and in the context of the Government's national sport policy.

The GAA, supported by the GPA, submitted a proposal to the Minister recently regarding Government funding for a senior intercounty player welfare initiative. The proposal has now been examined and a meeting with the GAA and the GPA will be held shortly to discuss the matter.