Dr. Bobby Smyth:

I have a six year old son and an eight year old son and between them they play gaelic, soccer and rugby. I understand from the clubs with which they are involved that mini-rugby and under-age gaelic are a major source of income for the clubs. Armies of little lads are training away, generally trained by their dads, at minimal or no cost to the clubs, but the parents pay €100 or €200 a head per child per sport. I refute the suggestion that a ban on the advertising of alcohol would inhibit those programmes and would ask the associations to give the committee the hard figures on that. I agree the organisations will take a hit as a result of a ban, but that hit will be felt at the upper and elite levels as it will be the elite sports people and the coaches who will get less cash. It will not have an impact on children.