Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I might make a brief point in response to the point Mr. Drury made regarding cash and the impact on communities. I fully agree. I have been involved in sport all my life, first as a kid and then professionally as a sports journalist. That is why I was pleased to see last year, for almost the first time ever, that this was taken seriously, when funding for sports clubs increased from €40 million to €150 million in one budget. It is equally important, however, that there be a caveat in respect of that funding, which is the point I was trying to make earlier. It is not a blank cheque. When the witnesses talk about inclusivity and how the funding is used, that should relate to gender equality, which was mentioned earlier, disability equality and what Mr. Maguire and Dr. Conama asked for, namely, basic respect for human rights within sporting clubs. Moreover, as I said earlier to the officials appearing before the committee, the criteria for the Department has to change as well. The days of blank cheques are over.