Donegal County Board Treasurer Alan Boyd says that his annual report should serve as a ‘reality check’.
Donegal’s net current assets/liabilities on the balance sheet shows a minus figure of €350,78, while there are creditors totally €603,299.
“It is worrying, but it is not insurmountable,” Gaoth Dobhair’s Boyd, who succeeded Cieran Kelly in the position in September, told tonight’s annual convention in Donegal Town.
“It is a reality check.
“It is manageable but it will need a lot of effort. We have to knuckle down. Every club has to support what’s going on. Every penny will be needed.”
Boyd was responding to a query from 1992 All-Ireland winning full-back Matt Gallagher, who was present as a Naomh Brid delegate.
“We are behind the black ball before we start,” Gallagher said.
Auditor Enda Bonner outlined that €120,000 was spent on bank loans and €75,000 was spent on the Donegal GAA Training Centre in Convoy.
Donegal’s total turnover for 2018 was €1,419,206, while expenditure was €1,411,939.
Both figures were down from 2017 when they were €1,492,224 (income) and €1,428,072 (expenditure).
On the creditors of €603,299, Bonner said: “Alan was new into the job. I had to rely an awful lot on the book keeper, particularly with monies owed to us and owed to suppliers. Secondly, a lot of those creditors were very slow in being established.”
Former Tanaiste Mary Coughlan, a St Naul’s delegate, expressed ‘grave concerns’ that suppliers hadn’t been paid.
“Some suppliers can’t wait and can we expect them to keep supporting us?” Ms Coughlan said.
It was a matter touched on by the County Chairman, Mick McGrath, in his address.
“We owe money…We will address that,” he told delegated at the Abbey Hotel.
“Our accounts are challenging, but I appeal to everyone to support our fundraising ventures.
“We cannot allow the position to evolve into being not manageable and stressful.”
Boyd said that his first task post-convention would be to establish a budget for 2019.
“I wonder if the volunteerism day has gone?” Boyd said.
“We can’t keep paying hand over fist for everything.”
Team administration expenses shot over €1million for the first time. In total, Donegal’s team admin cost the Board €1,007,170 in 2018.
There was an alarming drop in fundraising activities of nearly €80,000.
“That has to be addressed,” Boyd said.
Donegal’s National League share was down by over €100,000, dropping to €67,868 from €169,019.
Royalties from merchandise sales rose to €92,093 from €73,537 while sponsorship was up by €19,000 to €218,000.
Commercial income was also up, bringing in €517,070, against €470,658 in 2017.
Catering expenses shot to €180,634 from €160,118 in 2017; traveling expenses was up by €26,000 to €271,849; while overnight stays cost €83,812, compared to €59,418 in the 2017 season.
There was a rise of over €36,000 in medical expenses, which cost the Donegal County Board €181,282 in 2018.
Donegal’s coaching and games development expenditure showed an increase of €28,000, with a total of €248,963 spent in 2018.
Meeting expenses for the year cost €13,178, a big increase from €6,287 – something that was put down to Donegal hosting the Ulster Convention and a Youth Conference in 2018.
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