GAA's Central Council to consider appointing a chief medical officer

The GAA's Central Council will consider the prospect of appointing a chief medical officer across all Gaelic Games bodies.

The Gaelic Players Association had tabled a motion for upcoming Congress to establish the CMO role across the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association.

The GPA saw the motion get through last year’s AGM and it was due to be voted upon at Congress this month.

But a player’s note to members this afternoon said that the motion had been withdrawn in favour of a Central Council discussion, with that body looking instead to implementing the new role.

The players note read: "GPA members unanimously passed a motion calling for the appointment of a chief medical officer in Gaelic Games at our annual meeting last October.

"This was a progressive step by players to ensure issues concerning your sport related medical needs are consistently met and planned for by an appropriately qualified person with executive authority."

GPA chief executive Tom Parsons added that there was good news to report.

"While we formulated a motion to go before Congress later this month, we were advised that a matter of this importance would more appropriately be dealt with by the GAA's Ard Chomhairle, the association's supreme governing body between annual Congresses.

"Therefore, the appointment of a CMO is now on Ard Chomhairle's agenda for consideration. We will be working with the GAA on your behalf to stress the importance of this appointment for all our games."

Parsons said that the GPA considered the role to be an all-governing body appointment as "we move towards integration, another matter on which the players led the way".