Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The broad outreach and everything else that is good about football in this country was brought home to me at the end-of-season matches in Kerry. The captain of our B team was from Tibet. Looking around at the three teams present, there were also Ukrainians and Nigerians. The most inclusive and welcoming sports clubs in the country are probably those that play football. It is the international game that reaches all the way down to the local level. The positivity and inclusivity were there to be seen locally.

We are at a crossroads in terms of investing in the game and facilitating its expansion. There is a significant lack of municipal facilities. Around the Continent, there is a place in nearly every square where someone can muck in and play football. There has been a considerable expansion in the women’s game. Significant investment is needed.

I welcome this Labour Party motion. I see from it that 55% of clubs do not own their own their facilities. When CLÁR funding was recently provided, it seemed to me that most of the clubs in Kerry that had applied did not get the funding they deserved for all the work they had been putting into their communities. The silver bullet is facilities. We need more funding for them at local and national levels.

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