Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact that Sport Ireland is represented today but I want to continue the conversation on pillar sports. If we do not have this conversation, we will lose out in terms of its responsibility to the broader public. Of course, these are stand-alone bodies and they can conduct their own business and accounts. I would not tell them what to do. However, Sport Ireland announced yesterday an investment of over €26 million, which is hugely welcomed, for national governing bodies. The State supports our pillar organisations. We pump huge amounts of money into sport. It is absolutely not on for pillar organisations to believe they can take money off the State and take no responsibility when it comes to visual media and the availability of top-level stars on our televisions and on radio, where separate contracts are done. If sporting bodies receive money from the State, they have a duty of care to the country as well. If they want to conduct their own business and not take money from the State, that is fine. This conversation must happen because Irish clubs could end up being pulled into the European Super League by default to supplement some mad sports management company's misguided dream.