Mr. Iarlaith ? Broin:

I support what was said last night by the FAI. It is not either for us or for them. It should be for all sports. We are coming at this from that perspective. I am the principal of a post-primary school. Looking at the sedentary lifestyle of young people at the moment and the decline in the number of people who are playing active sport, it is about getting them out to play any sport. As a principal, I brought soccer and rugby into a GAA-only school to ensure that pupils were getting at least some sort of sport. Investing financially in the GAA does not mean there should not be investment in soccer. If we are going to invest, municipal pitches and stadiums would be for all sports, as are our major stadiums.

What is different about the GAA is that the GAA, and all of its codes, are part of Irish culture. They are sports indigenous to this country. Last year, and every year, the GAA re-invests approximately €75 million into facilities and infrastructure in the country. No other sporting organisation has that. Of every euro that is earned, 83 cent goes back in to coaching in schools, infrastructure and developing the association throughout Ireland and the world. As I said last week on "The Late Late Show", we are in a unique position. When people go into villages, they wonder why there is a small Centra supermarket, a chapel, a school and a magnificent GAA complex. That has not happened by accident. The GAA is responsible for creating a sporting infrastructure throughout every parish in Ireland that the whole country should be proud of.

In 2009, I was the manager of the Irish international ladies team that played against Australia. When we played the first game in Parnell Park against Australia, I had an international team in the dressing room with two toilets they could use. Going to the toilet is a very basic need when you are taking on so much water. A lot of those girls went out to play the match not having been able to go to the toilet. Before talking about making a pitch, I make the point that facilities in our GAA clubs are built for men and their needs. That is something that we cannot be blind to. If we are going to have facilities for all, they must genuinely be for all. It must be a situation where there are facilities for girls if they need to do basic things like going to the toilet before playing a match.