Leinster GAA chairman Derek Kent and Connacht GAA chief executive John Prenty have both criticised the GPA in their annual reports.

Kent has taken issue with how the GPA spent their €3.4m GAA allocation in 2022 when he addressed last weekend’s Leinster GAA convention, while Prenty has accused the players’ body of showing a lack of respect to the GAA.

“I personally am not happy with aspects of how the GPA spend the precious resources allocated to them annually,” Kent said in his address to Leinster Convention.

“A recent presentation to Ard Chomhairle on their accounts revealed a significant spend on items such as match day tickets, on entertainment in corporate boxes, and on donations at a cost of almost a quarter of a million euro, of our funds, to various other bodies.

“All of this at a time when every county board seems to be flat out fundraising to sustain the county game, and when we have volunteer chairpersons having sleepless nights about their county’s finances, struggling to meet the demands of their teams and maintain their facilities.”

Prenty, meanwhile, claimed the 70c mileage allowance being sought for inter-county players is placing a huge burden on cash-strapped county boards.

"Other demands on player supports also come with a cost and adds to the financial situation our counties are facing," the Mayo man writes.

“The question must be asked, are we getting value for money? Do we have to have a professional regime for an amateur game? One wonders why the current game of Gaelic football, in particular, needs so much physical conditioning when the game is now designed to keep out of physical contact and recycle the ball backwards, sideways and sometimes forward in a game which is becoming increasingly difficult to watch at inter-county level.

“Our county officers, who are volunteers, are tasked with ensuring that the money is available to fund the increasing costs and a huge proportion of their time has to be devoted to fund-raising, to ensuring that facilities are adequate and fit for purpose to accommodate the training required.”

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