State promises more funds for players’ work schemes

Date Published: 09-Feb-2011

A new community work placement scheme – which has just been rolled out nationwide – is to increase resources for sporting organisations in an effort to stem the mass emigration of talented players in search of employment.

Under the €30 million Tús scheme, organisations such as the GAA, the IRFU and the FAI have been allocated a quota of participants, who will be employed on a one-year contract to coach in schools and fulfil other coaching duties.

But now outgoing Minister for Social Protection and Galway Deputy Eamon Ó Cuív has said that the state would double the number of players and coaches on the scheme.

Speaking at a GAA Conference for Connacht clubs in Castlebar last Saturday, Minister Ó Cuív said that although Tús already provided participants to sports clubs to carry out work, such as maintenance, the scheme would also operate a second facet by taking on unemployed players under a national coaching plan.

He told the gathering that, initially, 250 coaching jobs would be made available to the GAA nationwide, and with further coaching roles to be provided for the IRFU, the FAI and other sporting bodies, this would hugely benefit counties like Galway and go some way to addressing rising unemployment among young players.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.