GAA Director-General Tom Ryan has slammed the GPA for their role in the protests that took place around player charters for the LGFA and Camogie Association last summer.
Last summer, senior inter-county ladies footballers and camogie players stated they would play the remainder of the 2023 championship “under protest” because of the apparent lack of progress shown by the governing bodies and the GAA regarding player welfare issues. The failure to implement a charter frustrated the players.
Weeks later, the frustrated inter-county players called off their protest after “constructive meetings” with their governing bodies took place.
In a statement issued by the GPA, it was revealed that a standard charter for female players, around which the whole protest was centered, would be put in place for the 2024 season.
This month, the GAA's annual report was released, and GAA boss Tom Ryan said that it was not the responsibility of the GAA to apply the changes wanted by the LGFA and Camogie Association last summer. He claimed he was also disappointed that some of the protests took place during games last season.
"I respect completely—indeed, the responsibility—of the GPA to advocate for all of its members, including women playing inter-county football and camogie. I also believe, fervently so, as mentioned elsewhere in this report and in corresponding dispatches in previous years, that the future of Gaelic games lies in a single organisation governing all of our codes, "he said
Dublin , Ireland, February 18, 2023; Ard Stiúrthóir of the GAA Tom Ryan during day two of the GAA Annual Congress 2023 at Croke Park in Dublin. (Photo By Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile via Getty Images)"However, it was disappointing to see during the year that player welfare for female players was allowed to be conflated with the responsibilities of the GAA and that the GPA chose to stage protests at some of our games to seek to influence the Ladies Associations with regards to charters for their codes."
Ryan went on to add that the responsibility of applying the changes should lie solely with a single organisation that is yet to be created. Ryan also went on to say that the GAA would look to maintain positive influence where possible with other parties.
"Rightly or wrongly, the GAA in 2024 does not govern ladies football and camogie. We do, of course, strive to maintain good relations with all parties and to be a positive influence where possible, but the ultimate responsibility in these matters is not ours.
"A single organisation will emerge in time, but until then, it does a disservice to both of our sister organisations to seek to usurp them and involve the GAA in their issues.
"My fears here are for the integration process itself, and I hope that unwitting damage has not been done to that project. We need to make sure that momentum towards integration is not undermined."
