So, Kildare's Number One Official Supporter Himself, has at last come out in his true colours, and they're not Lily White, writes An Fear Rua …

The Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy TD, has rejected a proposal to allow income tax concessions to amateur sports people, two years after even more generous breaks were given to wealthy sports professionals, like jockeys and golfers.

Under the increasingly astute leadership of Dessie Farrell, the GPA had worked with the leading accountants, Ernst and Young, and the Irish Sports Council to come up with a proposal that top-level amateur sports people would get an annual tax credit of €2,000. The accountants estimated the annual cost to the Exchequer of between €5 and €6 million Euro. Compare that, with the annual €40 million or so handed back to the likes of Bono and the Corrs as tax exemptions because the Revenue Commissioners accept them as 'artists'. Now An Fear Rua is as susceptible to the Andrea's pulchritude as much as any man, but in the name of God how can it be claimed that Bono is a greater 'artist' than DJ Carey? Come off it Charlie! And come off it too, Frank Daly, a decent Waterfordman and Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners, who should know better!

Everything looked in place, with cross-party support, at a recent meeting of the Oireachtas Committee examining this year's Finance Bill. Then Good Time Charlie threw the proverbial feline among the pigeons and said his officials were against the proposal. Now, AFR has followed Charlie's career since he first emerged from the back of the cake shop in the Main Street of Naas all those years ago. The same Charlie has built an image for himself as a plain talkin' down to earth class of a fella … the class of a lad ya might meet at the bookies or beside ya ah' a bih of an oul fuhball match. He has prided himself on his independent mindedness and his 'lateral thinking' and his freedom from civil service shackles. He would claim to be the last politician to take refuge in the plea of 'official advice'. Yet, he has cravenly done so on this occasion. Ironically, there are many other aspects of his time in the Department of Finance when many would feel he might have done better to listen to his officials' advice. SSIA's and Decentralisation come to mind. But, when it comes to helping GAA 'artists', the Minister's hearing is selective.

Understandably, the GPA are angry about this and feel they have been double-crossed. Dessie Farrell says: 'It is extremely disappointing that our members' contribution to Irish society has yet to be acknowledged by this government. This proposal enjoys unanimous support from within the GAA community, uniting traditionalists and progressive elements in an unprecedented manner. Indeed, such is the anger from within the ranks of the playing body that a call for structured, formal protest including nationwide petitions and doorstep Dail demonstrations has been proposed in several quarters. … The arguments forwarded against this proposed allowance simply do not stand up to scrutiny.'

An Fear Rua has always taken a close and informed interest in the question of how to adequately compensate GAA players for the effort they must put in to give the rest of us the games we all enjoy so much. As far back as the year 2000, we proposed the idea of a special tax break and showed how little it would cost and how easy it would be to administer. We also put forward ' An Fear Rua's GAA Players' Charter' - a fifteen point plan to properly recognise and remunerate players. Both these proposals are as valid today as when we first made them and the full articles are detailed below (see Related Topics.

The GPA, the GAA and the players themselves have the solution in their own hands. This is an election year - both local and European. If Mr. McCreevy - and De Man Dey Call Ahern - can be made to believe that the rejection of this proposal will cost them votes and seats, the Minister's hearing difficulties may soon miraculously clear up.

Related Topics:
A Proper Charlie!
Shakespeare And The GAA

'Vote On It!' Poll
Should top level amateur sports people get a €2,000 tax credit, as proposed by the GPA and rejected by Charlie McCreevy?