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

I thank the Ministers. Prior to the pandemic, the League of Ireland and the clubs were making really positive progress. The underage structures were developing really well and were coming on.

One could start to see the benefits at underage international level. The women's football was developing very strongly as well. One element was the active engagement of clubs with community projects. It is hard to match the level of community activity in which clubs were involved. My club, Shamrock Rovers, is very much involved with local community projects and is at the heart of much of the good that happens in that community. For example, Shamrock Rovers was very supportive of Gaza Kids to Dublin. It is also supportive of the Homeless Period Ireland project and its end period poverty campaign. This community engagement is reflected in all the clubs across the country. The clubs are more than just football clubs because they are at the heart of the community.

With the Covid-19 pandemic the clubs and the league are effectively on a ventilator in ICU. What they need is oxygen, and in many ways the oxygen is cash flow. The only way for League of Ireland clubs to generate cash flow is to get people coming through the turnstiles. They will not survive without that. They need a great deal of support. The FAI does not have enough money, nor does the league. I understand that the meeting today with the clubs did not go well. There was much despondency among the clubs leaving it. There is great concern that the existence of many clubs may be in question. Will the Minister and Minister of State confirm and reassure clubs that no club will be allowed to go out of existence because of Covid-19? It is important to give some assurance to clubs.

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