Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On Senator Cassells's first question, there will be significant funding needs for the sport sector again this year. We allocated additional funding of €26 million for Sport Ireland in budget 2021. We are engaging with the governing bodies on their additional requirements. We will be trying to meet them positively and trying to support the rebooting and promoting of our sport system when we can get it back. I am conscious of their needs and the difficulties of trying to live with the scarring effect of the pandemic on our sport system. We need to get as many people as possible back playing and participating, and supporting as many people as possible in terms of clubs and the grassroots support system.

In terms of spectators, we have a draft plan. Obviously, with the changes that occurred in the early part of the year and the difficulties around the pandemic, we were not able to run test events at that stage but a significant amount of work has gone into this through Sport Ireland and some of the governing bodies. I am optimistic that through the summer, we will be able to have test events, obviously, subject to Government decisions and the overall public health position at the time. I would be optimistic we can run test events and get spectators back at some of our games during the summer. We will be working with the sport sector to try and do that. As Senator Cassells mentioned, the ban on spectators is important. We can learn from other European countries that are doing this already and I am optimistic around that.

In terms of Senator Cassells' final point, I share the Senator's views. The super league is terrible for fans. It is terrible for football but it is also terrible for smaller nations such as Ireland and the leagues we run. It is elitism and a closed shop. We must have football and sport based on-----