Joe questions right to vote

AGB club delegate Joe McElheron posed the question of whether umpires and linesmen who “get paid” for their duties are employees of Wicklow County Board and therefore are ineligible to seek a position or to vote at last Monday night’s Convention in Aughrim.

“I’ve expressed the view at many County Board meetings with regard to the situation with referees and appeal for an improvement and strengthening, because if you have a high standard of refereeing you will have a high standard of football and hurling,” negan McElheron.

“Now, in this county for a number of years, we have paid our referees as we all full well know. We the county board pay them, that is management and the clubs. And I regard the board and the clubs as the employers and the referee as employees.

“One worry I would have, and that was strengthened a short number of years ago, the payment system, when we had members of the CCC acting as linesmen and umpires when they couldn’t be got and I highlighted the fact that it was not right for linesmen or umpires’ positions to be taken by members of the CCC because, as part of the referee’s team, if there was a serious report to be handled, they couldn’t sit.

“The result of that was, after a period of time, it was decided to pay people to do the line and, as we all know, they are paid €15 a match.

“Again, employer and employee situation. So, if you’re an employee in this situation, in our association at club or county level, you’re not entitled to seek a position or to vote.

“With regard to the referees, I would just like to inquire if at any time since this second payment came into being six or seven years ago, were any referees requested or required to submit their PRSI number?

“If you go back a few years, there was consternation at national level and inter-county level with regard to payments and the Revenue was involved, it was all sorted in whatever form. In this case, I reckon that if you’re an employee I reckon you’re not eligible to vote. It’s open to interpretation.

Martin Coleman said that the linesmen and umpires received expenses and that they were members of the Association and that they were not employees.

Joe McElheron said that the Wicklow County Board passed motions on two occasions to pay referees and that the payment was not expenses.

“Do as you please,” said Joe. “It’s classed as expenses,” said County Chairman Martin Coleman, “and it is classes as expenses with the Revenue and in Croke Park”.

Philip Bracken said that if Joe reckoned that the referees were getting paid at those rates that he was “about 100 years behind schedule”.