Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for being with us. It has been most helpful and insightful. I will start by concurring with what the departmental officials said. My view on the ground locally is that the FAI has done a really good job at encouraging the local clubs this time to participate more in the sports capital funding avenues. I agree with lots of my colleagues that with regard to their venues right across the country, even in places such as Cavan-Monaghan, some are very good but some are very poor. In terms of encouraging female participation that is really not helpful. As Mr. Bonner alluded to there has been an explosion in women's football and that is in no small part down to the fabulous women that represent us as a country on the Irish team.

Mr. Ó Lionáin stated there has been a marked difference in the number of soccer sports clubs coming forward for the sports capital funding and it is incredibly important that we see that trend continue to increase. More work needs to be done to give the support that is needed to volunteers on the ground to be in a position to apply for funds. I really understand Senator Warfield's point as to why it is important clubs have long-term leases or own their own grounds. If significant amounts of taxpayers' money is being spent on those grounds we need to know they will be there for the players, volunteers and supporters into the future. That is a good thing.

I want to go back to Mr. Ó Lionáin's opening statement and the paragraph where he gave the analogy about the strategy proposed by the FAI with regard to what that will cost the Government and, ultimately, the taxpayer. We are talking about €46 million per annum of Government support for this 15-year strategy. That is what is in the opening statement and it should be noted that the central Government ask alone is €34 million per year which equates to almost the full amount of the sports capital expenditure. I hope Mr. Ó Lionáin will not tell me that will wipe out our sports capital fund because that is critically important to sports right across the board. Will Mr. Ó Lionáin extrapolate on the point he is trying to make?