Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I think we have to handle the situation as we find it. That is why the Minister, the Minister of State and Mr. Treacy are going to address the committee. Everybody here will have an opportunity to ask whatever questions he or she wants. It will be a question-and-answer session. We do not want speeches. We will be looking for direct replies after the three opening speakers have made their initial statements. The transparency and accountability of the Oireachtas and the work of this committee, in particular, have been very effective in dealing with this issue. We insisted on the forensic audit, which turned out to be the KOSI audit. We have nothing to be ashamed of here as a committee. We work as a committee. We are not political in that context. We want to see a future for football that involves funding being restored for young people and women who play the game. I understand that the assets of the FAI include club grounds around the country, such as United Park in Drogheda. We want to ensure that regardless of whatever happens, these assets remain in sport ownership, if at all possible. I do not know what will happen, but I know that everybody up and down the country wants us to get a new committee in place, to get the new directors in place and to move to the future. We want to ensure the mothers and fathers who are out with their children every week in good and bad weather have confidence in football as a sport. As a committee, we are working with the Minister and with Sport Ireland to restore confidence.