The mandatory €20 fee, levied on GAA/LGFA Membership has resulted in some queries regarding this charge. The club accounts for last year gave a figure of €9190 for Male bus hire and €12110 for LGFA bus hire. We are not questioning the providers as they have always tried to be fair with the club. The fact is that this is a huge chunk of the Clubs budget. It was felt that rather than ask people to pay everytime a bus was needed, it was fairer to ask for €20 per person at the start of the year. This is to mitigate the overall bill at the end of the year and will not cover costs but it will help. This €20 is not a licence to just order a bus whenever it’s needed. Guidelines are being finalised for when a bus can be used and this will be based on distance to travel. I hope this puts the matter into context. Like every organisation we try to be as fair as possible but costs are increasing and funding is getting harder as less people are willing to get involved in anything but expect the club to provide the best nonetheless. I would urge as many as possible to get involved with the club and make it a stronger community for our kids and adults. Thank you for taking the time to read this.