Dessie Farrelll, chief executive of the Gaelic Players Association (GPA), has expressed his disappointment at the Gorvenment's decision to reject a scheme providing tax credits for high-achieving amateur sportspersons.
Representatives of the GPA had briefed deputies on the issue before yesterday's Dáil debate, but the Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, dismissed the proposal.
He ruled that the proposed tax credit of €2,000 would be used against the person's non-sport income, since being amateurs they did not have income arising directly from the sport itself.
Speaking today, Farrell said GPA was 'sorely aggrieved' about the decision and maintained that "the principle of the proposal is unanimously acceptable."
"In this regard, the GPA remains fully committed to the identification of a constitutionally compliant mechanism through which this government might acknowledge high performance amateur sportspersons," Farrell added.