Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)

We know the background of the situation the FAI got itself into a number of years ago. We are now 18 months into the second memorandum of understanding between the Government and the FAI whereby the Government is giving specific dedicated funding to the FAI in order that football, particularly grassroots football, across the country can be supported. The implementation of that memorandum is something that we monitor closely through Sport Ireland. There is regular engagement to make sure that the governance and the work that is required as part of that memorandum of understanding is being implemented and adhered to.

We have also, of course, in the most recent budget taken an initiative, which was an important and progressive step by the Government, of funding the need for the development of football academies across the country. We secured €3 million in the budget to ensure that across the country we can see the development of underage footballers to give young people the capacity to reach the maximum of their potential. Particularly coming out of Brexit a number of years ago, where previously young people would have gone abroad, they can no longer do that until they are 18 years of age. It is important we provide that, at local level and domestically. We are engaging closely, again working through Sport Ireland, with the FAI as to how that will be established and set up to make sure that the proper structures are put in place early on so that it will deliver in the way we want to see it. There is significant engagement going on with them in relation to how that will be stepped out.