Daniel Carey has an interesting account in the Mayo News on Monday night’s County Board meeting which was held to discuss the Strategic Action Plan. It’s so interesting, in fact, that the entire article (byline and all) also appears in this morning’s Indo. Regardless of which paper it’s in, it doesn’t make comfortable reading for the County Board executive, as it provides further proof on their chaotic stewardship of the organisation’s finances within the county.
I should (if I haven’t already done so) declare an interest here, in that I was honoured to serve on the Action Plan sub-committee chaired by PJ Monaghan which was tasked at examining and coming up with a series of recommendations in the area of finance and fundraising. The revelation at Monday night’s meeting – which by the sounds of it, slipped out inadvertantly – that monies (much needed monies, as everyone will readily agree) raised by the supporters’ club are not fully reflected in the County Board accounts clearly came as a shock to some of those in attendance (with one delegate expressing himself to be “deeply troubled” by this admission).
As someone who was honoured to sit on the finance sub-committee, I can’t say I’m overly surprised that this has been happening and it merely goes to show that the recommendations we made in the areas of financial reporting and control are no more than common sense. This highly embarrassing revelation obviously puts pressure on the executive to get its house in order and fast. If it doesn’t, others – who are likely to be a damn sight less sympathetic to their plight than the finance sub-committee were – could step in and ensure that they do.
The Irish Examiner and Independent has it too, along with the Mayo News. Certainly questions will surface but what I have found hilarious is the assertion from the County Board that they gave a review plan of their own to Review Chairman Liam Horan. Mr Horan replied they didn’t , that they gave him a copy of the Galway strategic plan with words crossed out!
Just to ease any confusion fellow bloggers might have here, in that this review seems to have caused a rift between the board and the reviewing committee, lets recall that it was the Mayo County Board themselves who asked Liam Horan to do this review for THEM.
The county chairman is quoted that he wants to build bridges with the review committee.Its my view and I might be wrong here but the review is over and its now down to be decided on by the clubs at a county board meeting. In essence only Liam Horan as chairman remains so building a bridge to nowhere makes no sense.
Like WJ I must declare an interest here. I too added a modicum to this Review at sub- committee level. As a Mayo man of sixty decades who has followed them through pain and ecstasy it was a privilege to be given the opportunity to add my thimbleful.
Mayo the football team belongs to us all. Lets never forget that.
On the back of this, I’m glad I never contributed any money to a supporters club.
As a Mayo man of sixty decades !! Ontheroad that puts you at 600+. Fair play. you must live near the fountain of youth.
JPM to that you can add alzhimers as well. Six, not sixty but it often has felt like 600 years especially on those oh so lonesome days when the bad things happen to us. Sorry about that.
Fair play on the road. Keep that flag flying. Its people like you that are one of the greatest things about the Gaa. On the issue of the money i’d be disappointed but not surprised its happened. Hope the recommendations get accepted to prevent this happening in future.
In relation to the issue over the supporters club, I would be suprised if they channelled any money via the County Board. This appears to be the way other counties operate.
The County Board seemed to imply that 30% of the recommendations could not be implemented are they breached GAA rules. Any idea what they were referring to?
They might be in breach of the unwritten rules that state:
Thou shalt not divest or dilute county board power to professionals.
Thou shalt not promote joined up thinking between various management teams.
Thou shalt not keep proper autited accounts.