Mr. Gerard Perry:

I thank the Deputy for his insightful comments. This is a complex issue and as one of my colleagues from the other codes said, refereeing is complex and it is not a simple task. Lots of things happen at different levels of the game and something can happen in the same game that is handled or managed differently at different times in the game.

On punishments, about two and a half years ago we changed the rule to change the level of punishment. The minimum punishment for a straightforward offence was 12 months and for more complex offences it was three years. Those are minimums and they can go up extensively. In one of the most recent cases there was a 40-year ban. I think there is a legal issue with giving lifetime bans. I understand that if someone is banned for a lifetime that has an implication in law. That is one of the reasons we do not support lifetime bans.

The Deputy talked about clubs being punished. The FAI regulations provide an opportunity to fine clubs and the association has recently reformed a welfare group for referees, which is addressing the area the Deputy has touched on in punishing clubs more severely. That has only recently been re-established in the last month and some of the initial conversations are around how we get clubs to take responsibility, not only for their players or coaches, but also for their spectators, and what punishments we should-----