Tom Parsons has told an Oireachtas meeting of the Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Culture and Sport that the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) do not want to be bystanders in the conversation around integration.
Speaking at the gathering called to discuss the integration of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA), Camogie Association and Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), Parsons outlined how the GPA would like more involvement in working with the Steering Group on Integration.
The three central bodies – the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association – were invited to Wednesday’s meeting but were unable to attend. And while the sentiments of the GPA chief executive were generally well received, they were not universally supported.
Articulating the GPA’s position on the integration process, Parsons said: “The GPA stands ready, not as bystanders, but as builders of the future. We believe the visible leadership about the opportunities for integration has been lacking and we want that to change too.
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“In years to come, I hope people will say that this was the moment our national games finally lived up to our national ideals of equal rights and equal opportunities.
“The integration of the Gaelic Games family represents the greatest transformation since the GAA’s foundation. It is our opportunity to unite every boy, girl, man, woman under one shared identity, one association that treats every person, every athlete, with equal respect, equal recognition and equal opportunity.
“Integration is about so much more than resources. It’s not a problem to be solved. It’s the greatest involvement opportunity in the history of Gaelic Games and therefore it should be the first strategic priority of our national governing bodies.”
When asked how many meetings the GPA has had with the Steering Group on Integration (SGI), Parsons said they had two formal engagements.
“We believe that’s not enough,” he added.
The SGI is chaired by Mary McAleese and includes representatives from all three Gaelic Games organisations – the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association.
When asked by Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn if the GPA would be open to sitting on the Steering Group, Parsons replied: “Yes, and we would expect the chairperson of the Integration and Steering Committee would ensure that there was equal voices on that committee .
“Absolutely, we would welcome an invitation to participate in the design of the future of our games and we did vocalise that with the governing bodies three weeks ago.”
However, Fine Gael TD Micheál Carrigy questioned greater GPA involvement.
“I don’t agree that the GPA should be sitting at the table with the three associations,” he stated. “The three associations represent the membership across the entire country and internationally.
“I’m also a member of GAA. I have been since I was probably six years of age, served in every single role in the organisation at a local level.
“Every member is equal within the association but you don’t seem to think so by coming in here and asking us to put you at the table that represents 0.66 per cent of the entire membership of the organisation.”
