Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will reiterate that remark. Senator Feighan's contribution was useful in several ways. The accountants have questions to answer. I do not know whether this is the right forum for that, but it seems somewhat absurd for Sport Ireland and, by extension, the State to depend on the accounts only for it to turn out that they have to be restated. That makes much of the accountants' work redundant. They have questions to answer, but whether they appear before the committee is up to themselves rather than the committee. It would be welcome if they appeared to explain what happened.

I am ad idemwith the Senator on an all-island soccer team. I would love to see that. It has probably been set back as a result of this situation. As the Senator will be aware, it was meeting other obstacles, but I suspect the IFA would be less inclined to get involved with an organisation that the Senator described as having a toxic brand. It will give those who do not want an all-island soccer team for other reasons, which I do not accept, an excuse for not getting involved, which is a great pity. It is another setback.

UEFA is a key player in this matter, and as the Minister of State alluded to, we will meet it on 14 January. I believe that is the date set at the moment. We will look to talk to UEFA in as constructive a way as possible about what can be done to save Irish football.