Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is good to get an opportunity to speak again. I would be far more aligned to the GAA than I would be to rugby, but not nearly as much as my two colleagues on the right, Senator O'Mahony and Deputy Fitzpatrick, based on their inter-county successes over many years. They have played a very meaningful and positive role in the GAA.

I want to focus on the gender quotas in both organisations. I have served as treasurer in my local club in County Westmeath. I can say without fear or favour some of the best people on the committee were the women. There was no gender quota.

Sometimes AGMs are held at which people are coerced into being members of committees. I refer not only to women but also to men. I have a grave reservation about this. We are talking about volunteering, be it at club level, county level, provincial level or all-Ireland level. Are we taking a sledgehammer to try to crack an egg? I suggested we discuss this at a meeting of the committee because the proposal emanated from the Government without any consultation. I am interested in hearing whether the delegates and the bodies they represent feel any more confident that the concerns that emanated from the various sporting bodies when the announcement was made through the media one Monday morning are been addressed.

Before Mr. Delaney left, I asked him what is being done about sudden adult death syndrome. Within the GAA, screening is compulsory at intercounty level. I believe we need to have screening at club level, however. Has the GAA any plans in this regard?

One of the biggest issues from the GAA's perspective is the amalgamation of clubs. I apologise to the IRFU for concentrating so much on the GAA. I am glad that the GAA highlighted how rural areas have been decimated over recent years with a reduction in services. As Senator O'Mahony rightly said, we do not want to see our rural clubs going in that direction. Quite often, rural football clubs are the only organisations gelling communities together, even at junior level, as in the case of my club for the first time in many years. I am interested in learning what role the GAA can play in offering support in this regard.

Signing up to a deal with Sky is forcing people to go to the pubs to watch matches. If only every pub were subscribing to Sky. Now many of the pubs cannot afford to do so because they face an increase in the fee for commercial premises. Since there is a decline in the rural pubs, they do not have the capacity to offer the service. It is disappointing that an organisation founded in 1884 and based on volunteerism has gone so much towards commercial activity. Perhaps the delegation will offer its rationale in that regard.

It appears the IRFU has but one lady representative. The organisation is correct in that it does not want to be seen to be promoting somebody for the sake of doing so or having a token candidate. I do not believe any woman would want to be in any position exclusively based on her gender. We must do something, however, because women have a huge role to play. From my experience at club level in the GAA and from working within my political party, I believe women have a huge, meaningful role to play. They bring a different thought process and perspective to many decisions. They need to be in key positions. Mr. Browne said he has reservations about the proposals of the Government. What are the IRFU's proposals to support greater female participation in governance roles? I asked the president of the FAI the percentage of the annual budget derived from State funding. What is the IRFU's percentage?