Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)

This is an issue that my Department and Sport Ireland were aware of and had looked at. It is my Department's view, and that of Sport Ireland, that the FAI engaged appropriately with these allegations. The Deputy mentioned a particular newspaper article which has been discussed this evening. It outlines that no complaint was made to, nor any evidence of inappropriate behaviour received by, the FAI in 2023. Once it received a formal complaint in January 2024, the FAI acted and contacted the Garda and Tusla, in accordance with mandatory reporting requirements and its safeguarding and child welfare regulations.

Sport Ireland has strong criteria for safeguarding compliance. It is a compulsory requirement for all national governing bodies and is a critical element for funding to national governing bodies. These criteria are reviewed twice annually by Sport Ireland, which works with NGBs to ensure that appropriate policies are put in place to take a proactive approach to safeguarding by identifying and mitigating risks to player welfare.

It also works with national governing bodies, NGBs, on an ongoing basis to ensure they have mechanisms in place to react appropriately and handle complaints or issues when they arise.

I reaffirm to Deputy O'Sullivan that from the point of view of my Department and of Sport Ireland in regard to any information received on this, they are of the view that the FAI engaged appropriately. It is certainly open to the Deputy or anyone else to provide any and all information they have to Sport Ireland and to the Department. Certainly, in regard to anything they have looked at so far, both my Department and Sport Ireland are of the very clear view that the FAI engaged appropriately with these allegations.

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