Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I mentioned earlier the tremendous success of Jack Marley in the Olympic Games and, previously, in winning gold and silver at European level. I should also mention Robin O'Reilly, who is 14, also from Monkstown Boxing Club. She started boxing when she was ten and has just won a bronze medal at European level. The important thing about that is that success is down to a club that was built in a very disadvantaged area and had to fight a very long time - more than two decades - for decent facilities. Finally, it will have a new clubhouse. However, clubs should not have to fight that much to unlock that talent, the tremendous talent and pride that Jack, Robin and many of the other boxers are now giving to the local area. Contrast that with, for example, Ballybrack, another disadvantaged area boxing club, which is having to do GoFundMe appeals online for boxing gloves, basic equipment, when it is trying to emulate that success, or many clubs that might not be at that very high level - I mentioned Sallynoggin Pearse earlier - or that serve older footballers and that want to do more of a community-type operation but are struggling to get support from the council. There needs to be, as I said earlier to the Minister of State, a more proactive approach to help those in disadvantaged areas, who often will not even know about the schemes that are out there or will find it difficult to deal with the bureaucracy but need help and support.

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