Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I expect to have the report very shortly and will then bring it to Government to allow my Government colleagues to share their views at which point we will make a call on it and present it to Brussels as set out in the legislative process. This is always a process that takes time, which is right because it is important. I am very confident that the consultants who are being very thorough and exacting in their work are providing very good value for money. It is important to get it right in terms of getting the Irish public's position to ascertain the real importance of these sports in our cultural life. While that takes time and a certain amount of money, it is important to get it right because they are important events. It is important that we do it in a proper process that is legal and that we can bring to Brussels as the final arbiter. We need to be confident that we have followed the correct legal process, which takes time and costs a certain amount of money, but is a process over which I would stand as it is serving us very well.

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