AAI AGM Increases Fees by 37.5%

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Report on Athletics Ireland Annual General Meeting 2024

Saturday April 27th 2024

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dublin

 The Athletics Ireland AGM was held in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry last Saturday, April 27th 2024. Cork was represented by 12 delegates, from our quota of 22. Dublin had the largest representation with 16, from 30. The second largest voting block, between Dublin and Cork, was the AAI Board, with 14 members, from a total of 16.  In all there were 92 voting delegates, with a quota of 70% for Constitutional changes and simple majority for other matters

Key Takeaways

• Juvenile Registration Fees increase by 43.3%, Rising from €15 to €21.50 (€5 registration fee increase, plus €1.50 insurance)

• Adult Registration Fees increase by 32.5%, Rising from €20 to €26.50 (€5 registration fee increase, plus €1.50 insurance)
  
  
• New clubs require ratification by 50% of registered clubs, plus 1 (As it currently stands, this means 30 clubs in Cork)

Financial Highlights

Athletics Ireland declared a surplus of €1k, on an Income of €7.15M. Total Grants Released came to €4.132M. Recreational income amounted to €885k, comprising €602k for owned/managed events, €92k for Summer Camps and €191k from the ODL/Permits.

Budgeted income for 2024 is €7,375, versus the actual 2023 figure of €7,150. Bugeted Registration/Affiliation income remains at €1,333, the same as 2023, even though registrations have risen by €5 per athlete. This is explained by the fact that the increase was not voted upon until later in the meeting. ODL income is projected to rise to €240k for 2024

There was very little questioning of the financial reports, due, perhaps, to the fact that much of the detail was not included in the published financials, so the details and nuances may not have been immediately apparent. Some of these include

a) zero income being included for Permits. Presumably this is because, under AAI's original ODL proposal, some permit income was to return to the county in which the event was held - however it is unclear if Cork have received all of this for 2023. Cork received nothing for 2022

b) ODL revenue would appear to be significantly under the estimates published by AAI prior to its implementation of the ODL. The AAI documents suggested 650 events annually, with approx. 400 participants, and 80% non-AAI participants. At a net €1.62 going to AAI (€0.38 goes to Eventmaster), that gives an AAI share of €336.97k, from a total of 208,000 non-AAI participants, or 76.4% more than the sum AAI reported


AGM Syllabus

2023 AAI Final Accounts (PDF File)

2023 AI Enterprises Final Accounts (PDF File)

 

Motions

ADMINISTRATION

Motion 6. Amendment
LOUTH
The increase of the registration fee from 1/1/2025 to Juvenile 20 euro and Senior 25 euro, this increase to also cover €1.50 per member for Directors & Officers Insurance.

The Louth amendment was taken first and was supported by Cork, as a compromise, however the amendment was defeated by 49 votes to 41

Motion 6.    The increase of the registration fee from the 1/1/2025 to Juvenile €20 and Senior €25
Rationale:
•    Applying the split of Juvenile members at €15/Senior €20 to 2024 and assuming we maintain 70k members (no growth) then we would receive approx. €300k extra in nett revenue in 2025.
•    Current reg fee is Juvenile €15 and Senior €20 since the 1/1/2019. Note inflation during this period has been approx. 20%.
•    For comparison, Swim Ireland senior fee is €49 going to €54, Cycling Ireland senior fee €136, Gymnastics Ireland senior fee €70.
•    This increase will be used to cover higher costs across the business as a result of inflation.
BOARD

Motion was passed overwhelmingly, by 67 votes to 17, with Cork voting against the motion

Motion 7.    The increase of the registration fee for Juvenile and Senior members by €1.50 from the 1/1/2025 to cover the cost of Directors & Officers insurance
Rationale: Recommendation from Congress 2023
The cost to establish a group Directors & Officers insurance scheme for all Clubs, County Boards and Provinces is in the region of €100,000. This insurance cover is highly recommended for all Clubs, County Boards and Provinces. This insurance covers the cost of claims and settlement amounts made against your Club and the club's directors and managers, officers or key decision makers for alleged wrongful acts e.g. misleading statement, incorrect decision making, libel/slander, breach of duty, breach of trust or neglect. As an officer of the club you have unlimited personal liability. This policy would therefore protect the assets of the individual in the event of a claim.

The €1.50 fee increase proposed in this motion will be in addition to the €5 proposed in Motion 6.

BOARD

Cork spoke, and voted against, this motion, however it was passed by a significant majority



Motion 8.    The increase of the Club Affiliation fee to €500 from the 1/1/2025.

Rationale: Recommendation from Congress 2023

This motion will be withdrawn by the Board if motion 7. is passed. This motion offers an alternative mechanism to establish the Directors & Officers group insurance scheme

The increase of the club affiliation fee from the current €150 to €500 from the 1/1/2025. This increase covers the group cost of Directors and Officers liability cover for all AAI affiliated Clubs. This is a group insurance scheme and will save clubs who are currently purchasing this cover independently up to €200 each as the individual cost per club is approximately €550. All Clubs should be availing of this cover to protect their coaches and club officers
BOARD

Motion 8 was withdrawn by the Board after the passing of Motion 7

Motion 9. Amendment
Any unit of the Association, Club, Co Board or Province requiring an event permit on their own behalf or for another organisation must use the Association approved portal system

Rationale:
The wording 'organising an event (recreation, road, track & field and cross country)' describes practically everything a club and County Board does. An event can be used to cover every small club and county race, club and county leagues, development events (that word again) squad training etc that are the day to day life of our clubs - and can even include schedule training sessions. To have to apply for a permit for each one is not possible for our already overstretched club secretaries.
KILDARE

Motion Lost

Motion 9.    Athletics Ireland Affiliated Clubs, County Boards and Provincial Councils must apply for an AAI permit through the approved AAI system portal when organising an event (Recreation, Road, Track & Field & Cross Country) for their own Club, County or Province or on behalf of a third party

Rationale:
This motion is to clarify that all Athletics Ireland affiliated Clubs, Counties & Provinces must operate using the approved AAI system portal to obtain a permit. Note this ensures all appropriate events are recorded for insurance purposes for example all road races, County and Provincial Cross Country and Track & Field events.

Note club trainings, club and county leagues, development events, squad trainings do not require a permit. All National events are recorded separately and directly with the insurer and hence do not require County Board approval. However, all National event dates will be shared with respective County Boards to prevent date clashes.
BOARD

Motion passed with 63 in favour, and 22 against

Several delegates, along with Cork delegates, spoke against motions 9 and the Kildare amendment, raising several concerns. Aspectrs raised by other counties related to uncertainty around what events are to be covered by this motion. It was also queried as to how long these events would be exempt from charges. No clarity was given on this, and the impression was created that it would not be for long

Cork spoke about very significant issues with the existing entry portal, including significant delays between the raising of Permits through the portal, and the Cork Secretary seeing them - up to 7 months. Other issues included events appearing on the official AAI calendar, while missing from Cork portal; Events awaiting approval by Cork but already open for entries via AAI calendar, along with a host of other issues. The meeting was informed that, on Tuesday April 23rd, there were 44 events listed on the Cork Portal, and that there were serious issues with 15 of those.  Along with this, there are discrepencies between the AAI Calendar, the Cork's AAI admin portal and the Eventmaster calendar.   The meeting was informed that the Portal was not fit for purpose. Several delegates from other counties said that they also we experiencing similar issues as Cork

The President, who chaired the AGM, responded that there were always going to be teething troubles with the system, along with human error.  Cork responded that it had written to the Board, about these, on several occasions, since 2022, and had either received no reply, or an unsatisfactory reply

Further to the ODL, Cork asked about the status of the Court Case, about which the 2023 Congress was informed when the meeting was told that the matter was "Sub Judice" by the Chair of Finance and risk. The President said "I am not aware of any court case pending." "There may have been legal language used..... But it was relating to the CCPC investigation.... and that's fully closed now"

Note: This matter relates to the 2023 Congress, the minutes for which will not come up for approval until Congress 2025

Effects of the Implementation of Motions 6 and 7 on Cork Clubs

These figures are based on the 2023 Year-End Cork Registration figures

Motion 6 - Raised of Juvenile & Senior Registrations from €15 and €20 to €20 and €25 respectively, while Motion 7 added another €1.50 per registration, to cover Directors & Officers Insurance for every club

As can be see above, total average fees increases by 37.44% (Juveniles 43.3%, Seniors 32.5%), resulting in club fees will increase by 35.5% overall. This comes on top of a large increase in entry fees to National Championships, imposed last year

Constitutional Motions

There were several Constitutional Motions before the AGM. The first ones related to issues arising from the omission of an article from recent publications of the Constitution, and the renumbering of some referrals in the Constitution. Cork pointed out that the omission of the article was an administrative matter, and that there were 10 other similar renumbering issues in the Constitution. In response to Cork, the President, in consultation with the Board's legal advisor, said that responsibility for maintaining the Constitution lies with the Company Secretary

Article 14 Amendment

(c) Affiliation granted by a County Board must be confirmed with a majority vote of those affiliated clubs present at the County Board meeting (quorum 50% of total affiliated county clubs plus one) and entitled to vote. The prospective new club should also be present at the County Board meet to present their case (but the prospective new club cannot vote)

(d) Should a candidate club fail to become affiliated under 14(c) the right of appeal will be to the relevant Provincial Council within 21 days. The relevant County Board and/or the candidate club will have a further right of appeal (within 21 days of the Provincial Council decision) to the Board of AAI whose decision will be final and binding. All decisions will be communicated within a reasonable time frame

Cork voted against this amendment, as it is felt that it will prove impossible for the County to approve any new club under these circumstances.

Under current affiliated club membership (58), it will require 30 clubs to be present at the AGM to approve a new club - There were 16 clubs represented at the County Board AGM, last January

Cork has the largest number of clubs of any county, and is also the largest geographically (with resultant travel issues within the County... e.g. it takes Beara AC almost two hours just to get to Cork, and the same again going home) these give rise to complications not faced by other counties. 

As stated earlier Cork now require 30 clubs to approve a new club, the next nearest, Dublin require 24, Meath 11, and Galway 10, with all the other counties in single digits. Five counties cannot mathematically approve a new club.   If a county cannot, or declines to approve new clubs, the matter may be appealed to their respective Provincial Council, however, Munster have stated that they will not deal with the matter, so there will be a further delay, waiting for Munster to reply back, then the further appeal to National AAI. The Board's rationale for this motion was "Rationale: To allow a right of appeal to a candidate club seeking affiliation if not successful under 14(c) above and to simplify the new club affiliation process", which in the case of Cork, makes it virtually impossible for the County Board to ratify new club applicants, requiring appeal to Munster and, likely, National, in Every Case......simplifying the new club affiliation process????

Following the passing of this motion from the Board. Cork asked, on a Point of Order, for the details of the appeal procedure, and the criteria to be used, however the Board did not give any substantail response, other than to say that the appeal process is now in the Constitution

Board's Constitutional Proposals

Towards the end of the AGM, a presentation was made on behalf of the Board, on it's proposed constitutional change.  The presentation lasted approximately 40 minutes, and seemingly consists of proposals to restructure the Board and the various committees. No mention was made of any substantial changes to the constitution, other than structural changes

The AGM was informed that documentary details supporting the Board's proposals would be circulated early this week, on Monday or Tuesday (29th/30th April) and Online Meetings will be held on Wednesday May 15th and Thursday May 23rd to support the proposals. AN EGM is to be held, on Saturday September 21st, to ratify the proposed new Constitution.

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