Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In regard to the Minister, Deputy Ross, and grassroots football, I welcome the announcement today and the clarification by Mr. Treacy that the FAI will remain the employer and there will be no break in employment contracts, which is important. The other aspect is that, obviously, we can do something but we cannot do something for everyone. We have managed to do something for the women's team and we have managed to do something for the development officers. I come at it from a different perspective, as a League of Ireland fan. If the FAI goes into examinership in the morning, or in April, May or June, it is my understanding that the league ceases - it is gone, and there is no League of Ireland. The clubs will remain but they will not have a league to play in and there will not be any European qualification places available because they are given to the governing body and not directly to the clubs.

Have we done any work on possible scenarios? In the eventuality that the FAI had to go into examinership, is it possible to continue the league? If it does not go into examinership and just goes under, does the league automatically collapse? What happens to those qualification places? What happens to any money that may be outstanding to League of Ireland clubs? If it does go into examinership, are penalties imposed on the FAI in terms of qualification places for European competitions which will be passed on to League of Ireland clubs? Have we done any analysis on what the impact on the League of Ireland will be? While I agree grassroots football is critical and we should be doing everything to protect it, there are many jobs within League of Ireland clubs which could potentially be at risk if the FAI went under.