Results 3,401-3,420 of 6,944 for speaker:Michael McNamara

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: We have been notified that Deputies Durkan, Daly, Andrews, Munster and Ó Murchú will substitute for their party colleagues today. Regarding upcoming meetings, we held a working group meeting and agreed to invite, for Wednesday's meeting if they can make it, the HSE, the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, and the Department of Health. We had a long discussion as to...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I have not been informed but there is to be a working group. We are not proposing to extend the number of meetings. It has been agreed by the Dáil that the Covid-19 committee will no longer exist at the end of September. I had hoped all along that the idea was we would cease to exist in order that the sectoral committees could start looking into this, such as the Joint Committee on...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I agree, and that is part of the reason we are inviting in the people I mentioned, given that announcements are anticipated and measures will almost certainly have been announced by next week.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Yes.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Without further ado, I welcome to our meeting the witnesses from the GAA and the FAI, who are joining us from committee room 2 and have been there for some time. I thank them for their patience and forbearance. From the GAA, we have Mr. John Horan, uachtarán, and Mr. Tom Ryan, ard stiúrthóir; from the FAI, Mr. Gary Owens, interim chief executive, and Mr. Mark Scanlon,...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I will open the floor to members. The first speaker is from Fine Gael. Is Deputy Durkan taking five or ten minutes?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: The next speaker is Deputy Paul McAuliffe. Is the Deputy taking five or ten minutes?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Deputy Murnane O'Connor will take the other ten later.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Sure.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: A couple of speakers are left. I will depart slightly from the running order if that is agreeable. I propose to take Deputy Daly for five minutes, then Deputies O'Dowd and Murnane O'Connor for ten each and Deputy Andrews for five, as Deputy Daly is going to Kerry. Is there any objection?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Okay. My question is can I take Deputy Daly slightly out of turn because he has to get to Kerry.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: The Deputy will have to ask him what awaits in Kerry, I do not know.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Deputy Daly. The next speaker is Deputy O'Dowd, who has ten minutes.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I call Deputy Devlin.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I want to finish up quite soon but I have a couple of questions before doing so. The first is for Mr. Browne. He talked about 80% of all revenues being generated by the men's national team and that money is used to fund everything down the line including provincial teams and clubs. Are all of the provinces suffering equally in a financial sense?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: In short, each of the provinces is equally viable or unviable at the moment. Is that correct?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Which ones?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I mean no disrespect when I say that where I come from we are hugely proud of rugby players who have worn the Munster jersey and the Irish jersey but the GAA is part of life. It defines community throughout rural Ireland. The closed games have been very difficult. What impact has that had on communities and the spirt of communities, with old men not being able to see their children or...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Old men and old women, I am sorry. I am not being sexist about it.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Team Sport in Ireland (18 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I am loth to ask a financial question after that but the game has become more professional. When I say professional, I do not mean that people are being paid but rather that the costs have grown hugely for county boards in producing a team that can go out and compete. It is not just 15 fellas coming together on a Sunday morning any more. We are dealing with top athletes and large backroom...