Mr. Tom Ryan:

We welcome the opportunity to represent the GAA and address the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sports and Media to discuss concerns around abuse of players and officials in our games. At its heart, the GAA is about playing matches and valuing and developing people, which means an organisation fundamentally about players and match officials. The welfare and well-being of those groups are a high priority for the GAA, as I am sure they are for all sporting organisations.

I am joined by our national match officials manager, Mr. Donal Smyth. Mr. Smyth oversees match officiating in all respects. That includes referee recruitment and training and, crucially, general welfare and supports for our referees. Mr. Smyth and I will explain the refereeing environment in the GAA. We will be happy to hear the views of the committee, to learn from our colleagues in the other sporting organisations represented here today and, of course, to answer questions that may arise.

There are approximately 3,000 active referees and match officials in the Gaelic Athletic Association spread across football and hurling. We should remember a few key points about the members of this group; they are essential to the playing of our games; and they carry out their duties in a high-pressure and high-profile environment and do so on a voluntary basis. This is all the more reason that they deserve our protection, gratitude and respect. In the GAA, we try to manifest this protection and respect in a few different spheres. We will expand upon these as the discussion evolves today.

We equip referees to carry out their duties to the highest standard possible. This centres around training, evaluation and feedback mechanisms for match officials. We respond appropriately to any adverse experiences referees might encounter. This includes providing counselling as required for our national panel on a confidential basis.

We bolster the authority of match officials and strive to make their job easier by operating and maintaining appropriate playing rules and a disciplinary system. That process and its evolution is always undertaken with one eye on the practicalities for referees and it also provides for their protection in certain specific circumstances.

We expend a significant degree of effort on improving the culture that surrounds match officiating. For example, the Give Respect-Get Respect initiative is an awareness campaign that seeks to ensure Gaelic games are promoted and played in a positive, fair and enjoyable manner. That campaign engages with players, coaches, spectators and referees. We have commissioned significant research into many of the pertinent issues being discussed here, including the mental health challenges our match officials face and their experiences of verbal and physical abuse during matches. We have a referee development plan that details our ambitions regarding welfare provisions for match officials into the future.

We are acutely aware of the issues referees face. We are aware of our responsibilities in this regard and we are working hard to improve things, but one significant challenge is the fact that not all of the determining factors are within our direct control. There is a pervading climate among those who watch and report on games and, more significantly, those anonymous commentators on discussion forums and social media to persistently pass judgment on referees. This is quite often unfair, with little balance and, frequently, there is very little actual knowledge of the rules of the game. Despite our best efforts, this lack of respect can at times transfer itself to the field of play.

In conclusion, match officials and on-field discipline are a vital part of our and every other sporting association. Their contribution cannot be overstated. Put simply, if we do not have referees and officials to monitor our games, we will simply not have games. This is a message that sometimes does not seem to hit home for many sports followers and, at times, players, irrespective of the code. I welcome the fact that this joint committee has chosen to focus on what we consider a key issue for sport generally, and I look forward to hearing its views.