Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Like our guests, I acknowledge the role of referees. They do a really important job, as pointed out by everyone throughout this discussion. Along with most people, I would not do it, which is probably why it is such a struggle to get referees. I often think referees and goalkeepers have the two worst jobs on the pitch. Theirs are both thankless jobs. Like that of goalkeepers, the job of referees is really important. I welcome the presentations and thought they were great, although I would have liked an organisation that represents a smaller sport to have been included. I mean no disrespect to the big three sports that are represented here but I think it would have been helpful to have included an organisations that represents a smaller sport. Generally, when we discuss sport, we focus on the big three sports - the expert group on Covid, for example, deals with the big three – but we should be more inclusive of the smaller sports.

Mr. Slattery stated three referees have been assaulted in recent months. I recall many years ago seeing a player violently assault a referee in Marlay Park, and to this day I still find it shocking to picture that. It was shocking then and remains so. A 12-month suspension is not enough. If someone assaults a referee in a game, there should be a lifetime ban from that sport. It is completely unacceptable, as our guests highlighted, because it is not just an assault of the referee but it also puts everyone off participating in that sport. As I said, the incident I witnessed had a strong impact on me. A ban of a year or two years is not enough when a referee is assaulted. I would like to hear our guests' views on introducing lifetime bans in all sports and particularly in the case of soccer.

There is a culture in soccer of abusing referees. I have participated in that sport all my life, and while I love all sports, I love soccer in particular. I have seen referees being abused at matches I have both attended and participated in. When a referee is abused in soccer or any sport, it is not just the individual who should be sanctioned. We need to ensure the club that player plays for or supports is sanctioned too. There is a culture, in both soccer and GAA, in my experience, whereby it is somehow considered acceptable to abuse referees, but clearly it is not. That culture has to be wiped out and that can be done only by sanctioning not only the player but also the club itself. Without real enforcement of sanctions, the problem will just continue and incidents will persist. Having participated in soccer, I have seen the abuse of referees and it is horrendous. I have seen referees walk away from matches. The club, too, has to face a sanction where a referee is abused. There have to be stronger sanctions for clubs, as well as for individuals. If there is an assault, the book has to be thrown at the perpetrator. We have to tackle that culture. The FAI has initiated a promotional campaign with David Gallagher of no ref, no game, as mentioned. Is there a way of getting that to the various clubs and promoting it at a club level?

Maybe that is being done but I have not seen it. The IRFU mentioned that it provides counselling. Do referees have access to counselling from the FAI where they have faced that sort of abuse or are struggling and need that support?

Women refereeing matches has started and I have seen it at matches and on television. It is important that a recruitment drive goes on among the different sports to increase the participation of women in refereeing because there is no reason they should not do so. Although when you see the abuse, you could understand why they would not.

Would the FAI support a lifetime ban or has it considered or discussed that?