Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am under instruction to welcome Palmerstown FC on behalf of Deputies Mark Ward and Eoin Ó Broin. Other people were declaring an interest and I suppose I should declare at this stage that I still play badly at seven-a-side in the Gaels on a Monday night and occasionally on a Thursday. I also want to refute what I heard at a recent meeting. I thank the Labour Party but I must call out Deputy Nash because there was an implication he is a very good footballer and I refuse to believe it.

On some level there is agreement across the board. We welcome the work the FAI has done. We know we need facilities from top to bottom. My county has two teams. There is some team called Drogheda United and there is also Dundalk FC, which I wish the best in its game against the Magpies in Gibraltar on Thursday. I hope we can have an element of a European run but who knows.

In Dundalk there seems to be good news, and Deputy Fitzpatrick would be able to say more on the Louth GAA stadium and the plan coming to fruition. Oriel Park, United Park and many other grounds are not up to the standard they need to be.

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If we want soccer to be the industry it could be, there is a need to address the issues that have arisen for players since Brexit. It has created difficulties in the context of making it with teams in England.

We need to put all those pieces together. There is real interest and the numbers are up but, even in terms of sustainability or getting television stations interested, it has to be about facilities. We need local authorities, the large scale sport infrastructure fund and sports capital grants to be considered. An across-the board solution is needed. The likes of Woodview Celtic in Dundalk do not have grounds. This is about engagements that are happening across the board.

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