Professor Joseph Maguire:

I thank the members for the opportunity to address them today. Despite the accent, I was born in Cobh, County Cork, while my father served in the Irish Defence Forces on Spike Ireland in the 1940s and 1950s.

The three areas, which Dr. Liston mentioned, are as follows. First, structurally, the administration, governance and resourcing of sporting federations will raise complex questions in North-South and east-west relations but will also have an international dimension, as, indeed, colleagues have indicated with regard to German reunification. Second, symbolically, difficult issues may arise with expressions of identity, such as flag, emblem and anthem, as well as place and space, along with representation, jurisdiction and eligibility for those from the North as well as those from the South. Third, societally, how and what we play, when and where we play and with whom we do so, as a participant or spectator, as a child or a parent, in communities and across our nation, will need cross-departmental policy formulation and implementation.

Sport is no panacea. It cannot do the heavy lifting alone with regard to culture, community and identity. We recommend the development of civic assemblies within and between sport federations. After all, some are already 32-county based, but others are 26-county based or Six Counties orientated.

In addition, we urge the committee to set out the case for an all-island citizens' assembly. One sub-panel would examine sport and its role in our shared future involving athletes, perhaps as cultural intermediaries, administrators, coaches, teachers, spectators, research experts - I thought I would mention that - and the wider public at large. This panel should be guided by an evidence-based understanding of our complex histories and of the changing meanings attached to sports. Hopefully, this identity work would lead to an inclusive and constructive dialogue and a carefully designed set of social policies.

We have no alternative but to prepare and to tread carefully. Sport has the capacity to unite but, as we know, in different parts of our country, also to divide. We look forward to further engagement on this outside this hearing and we would be delighted to take members' questions if they have any.