Mr. Gerard Perry:

I thank the Senator for his questions. I will take his second question first. It is a very difficult one to answer from our point of view. Games within the FAI and 80 leagues are played six days of the week now that we have floodlit pitches at grassroots level. Our referees are out referring six days a week and many games are played. When games fall through, it can be due to a clash of fixtures. If referees are all only available at the weekend, that is when our biggest problem will arise. If we look at the number of referees per league, it varies significantly. It is very difficult for us to capture an exact figure of the number of games lost because it depends on whether a referee is available for only one day or one afternoon, whether he or she is available multiple times a week or whether there is a clash of fixtures.

That is a difficult question to answer.

On the counselling piece, we have a medical director in the association. If needs be, we can refer cases up for consultation. We do not have formal counselling, but we are available to guide and assist referees who feel that is a requirement that they might need. Senator Carrigy may not have been here when I made the comment about having a pyramid approach to dealing with abuse and the sequelae of abuse. In the first instance, we look at the support mechanisms locally, whether it is from the Irish Soccer Referees Society, referees’ observers or friends and colleagues. If their needs are greater than that, then we would escalate it to more professional services.