THE GAA’S ETHICS and Integrity Committee report into the ongoing controversy over the Allianz sponsorship of the national leagues and All-Ireland championships, has said that “it is not the role of the GAA to be the moral guardians of the world and a sense of perspective must be maintained”.

The report, published on the Association’s own website, outlines the workings of the committee that recommended the GAA do not drop the sponsorship, despite significant opposition from several county boards following the publication of a report by United Nations in July which identified Allianz’s German parent company, through its subsidiary PIMCO, among the companies and corporations which hold Israeli government bonds.

Within the GAA report, it states: “It is nigh impossible to engage in business without engaging with entities which have some kind of connection with activities which are morally questionable. This is true of clubs, counties, provinces and the GAA centrally.

“Even a cursory examination of county team sponsors discloses agreements with corporate entities associated with: providing insurance cover to companies involved in the Gaza war, and in causing pollution and climate destruction; construction products which have been associated with major disasters; serious pollution incidents; and the obesity crisis.”

The report continues: “At club level there are similar links, e.g: with companies selling products for companies who supply equipment to the Israeli Defence Forces and to settlers in the West Bank; with technology corporations who supply products which are essential in the operation of weapons of war; and with e-commerce platforms which support the economies of illegal settlements, to name but a few.

“It would be wholly unreasonable to expect every unit to forensically audit and interrogate every company or individual with whom they propose to do business to see if they or any entity with which they are associated have any link, direct or indirect, of any kind with any corporate or natural person which might be ethically questionable.”

Ultimately, the reports recommendations are that the GAA:

I. Should not end its sponsorship agreement with Allianz plc. and should not end any contractual relationship or sponsorship agreement with any party, where such a party is not directly involved in the Israeli war effort in Gaza;

2. Should encourage Allianz plc to use its influence to encourage other companies within the Allianz group to act in accordance with Irish, European and International Law; and

3. Should ensure that all contractual arrangements are tested to ensure that parties with whom Association units are doing business are not themselves directly engaging in unethical activities.