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

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. We need to ensure that the grassroots level is the best it can be to ensure we capture the almost certain increase in participation around the finals in Australia. We need increased investment in facilities across the country, particularly for grassroots development. Regional development is very important. It is great to see a Kerry football club starting up and developing into the League of Ireland.

With all the clubs throughout the country, including in my constituency in Ringsend, there is an issue with all-weather facilities. A previous speaker mentioned multi-use facilities, which is really important. We are not investing enough in those. The collapse of the stand in Limerick's Markets Field at the end of last year highlights the urgent need for investment in League of Ireland and grassroots facilities. We can support and cheer on the Irish team, but we need to do more than that. We need significant investment in grassroots football.

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