Croke Park officials will not be launching their own investigation into the EUR40,000 that has gone missing from Laois’ county finances.

It emerged at last Monday’s county board meeting in Portlaoise that EUR39,565 in ticket sales has been written off by Laois over the past six years. In 2006 alone, EUR26,604 was written off.

However, GAA officials added that they would be amenable to giving assistance to the county if such a request was made.

“We do get involved from time to time if there is a problem in a specific area,” the GAA’s Operations Manager Fergal McGill told the Irish Examiner.

“There is expertise up here that’s there for the benefit of any unit if there are specific issues that need to be addressed.”

Four years ago, Croke Park and the Connacht Council became heavily involved when Roscommon revealed it had run up debts of EUR1.6 million, so the precedent is there.

Meanwhile, Tony Walsh, who was Laois treasurer at the time, has admitted that he should have informed the executive about the deficit.

“There was a mistake and I admit it. The write-offs were in the auditors’ account, but I will stand up as the man responsible. I should have stood up at a county convention and told everyone about it,” he said.

-Lynn Publications

Filed under: Laois Football, Laois Hurling, Laois Clubs