Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming in. Integration is really important. Bringing three into one is a really positive journey. It is a complex journey but one everybody wants to be on. I congratulate Mr. Ó Broin and Mr. Molloy on their recent elevation. They have both been very keen on integration, so it is probably a really good time for them to be involved in the organisation to ensure integration does happen.

Professor McAleese mentioned the 2027 deadline, or that it was the target. What does she see as the big obstacles for integration between now and then? There is a sense the devil is in the detail. We are all supportive of the journey, but it may be different when it comes down to the detail. For example, the male elite athletes - the county players - get a recognition grant and expenses whereas the female elite players do not get those. That is important. Professor McAleese mentioned fixtures and we see Dublin hurling and camogie playing at the same time in different venues. That is a huge loss to the organisation, the players and facilities. It seems mad we would have that situation. Why not have double headers for events like that? These are the obstacles the witnesses are going to have.

There is huge reluctance in a club I know of. There was an all-weather Prunty pitch put in and some of the male long-standing members of the club objected to women playing on that particular pitch. There is huge resistance to it, so the witnesses' job is difficult and, as was said, it is complex. Complexities like this have to be managed, so how do they manage the detail of things like that? On the medical side, there are packages of supports for elite male players whereas the women's package for intercounty players is significantly less. How are the witnesses going to address those sort of challenges and that detail?