Gender equality needs to happen now says GPA's Tom Parsons ahead of GAA Congress

GPA CEO Tom Parsons has vowed that the players’ body will be relentless in their push for the integration of the three biggest organisations in Gaelic Games.

And Parsons says the 4000 strong membership of the GPA — men and women — won’t accept a slow-moving agenda that takes a decade or more.

The GPA were speaking ahead of next Saturday’s GAA Congress at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence, where they will present a motion on integration.

Their motion calls on the GAA to “prioritise integration with the LGFA and Camogie Association in order to jointly ensure equal investment, recognition and opportunity for all genders to play all sports in the Gaelic Games family.”

Parsons says inter-county players across all codes will be disappointed if the LGFA and Camogie representatives at Congress in Mayo don’t speak when the GPA motion is brought to the floor.

The GPA believe integration of the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association is achievable within 18 months — if the will is there to do so.

Parsons said: “The GPA and the players will be relentless when it comes to equality, and when I say that I don’t say that lightly.

“Even in our own constitution we have added equality as one of our four core pillars and we won’t accept slow moving agenda items over another 10 or 20 years in closing that gap, so we will be relentless.

“Have we thought beyond this motion, significantly? No, we are putting all our energy on helping the

leaderships to integrate.”

Parsons continued: “I know all female captains — both in camogie and the LGFA — have asked their leadership to speak at Congress.

“So every single captain has sent out that correspondence to their County Boards and the LGFA leadership.

“Players would be disappointed if they didn’t