Results 101-120 of 4,181 for speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I might start by saying something unexpected. I compliment some of the people in the room on the work they have done with the FAI in recent years. I genuinely mean that. There are some people here who I have great time for as I do for the work they have done in recent years. However, I will follow the line of questioning of Senator Ní Chuillin. I will start by reading an extract of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: Yes, it was by the FAI on the day after the "RTÉ Investigates" programme was aired.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: At the press conference, Ms Rafferty stated: It is really important to understand policies and procedures and safeguarding measures are in place and have been in place for a long time. That is not enough. It is about our behaviours across all of our football community and why we would ask everyone to help us to create a really safe environment for those who play or are in administration...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I am sorry to interrupt. I am not doubting Ms Rafferty's integrity at all. We are all human. People make mistakes all the time. I am not saying anyone here made a mistake. It might come out in the fullness of time that they did, but I am asking specifically in reference to the email where Ms Rafferty said that the press statement was prepared and ready for publication. It was clear to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I respect that. I will maximise my time. I will move on to Mr. Courell. I genuinely meant my opening comments, and he is the specific person I was referring to, about the improvements in football. On the emails in 2023, the thread presented to some of us shows that Mr. Courell was copied in on the email of 5 May. Is he willing to comment on that email?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I will take the email out of it. Did Mr. Courell discuss anything with the then chief executive about the content of the email or with anyone else on the senior management team?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I am not sure how more blatantly I can ask. The last time something like this happened, I was not here. A former chief executive came here and did the same thing. It did not end well for that individual. In the context of what we have heard so far, we are in familiar territory. Is the Mr. Courell willing to disclose any communication he had with anyone in senior management at any stage...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: With respect, I have three young children and there are other people here who have children. If I was a parent involved in any set-up about any individual - I am not referencing a specific individual - and if I felt that people in senior management in the FAI had let me down as a parent, by not implementing proper safeguarding procedures, I would be offended and upset. I will move to Ms...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: When did Ms Pakes become aware of the safeguarding complaint? Initially, there was this email thread in 2023. Ms Pakes acknowledged that she became aware of it at a later date. When did she become aware of it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: Therefore Ms Pakes is saying it was after the "Prime Time" programme. That is when she became aware.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: Can I ask Ms Pakes a general question, in that case? That might be more appropriate. In the event of a rumour or allegation of this description, typically - taking out the programme and every bit of it-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: This is generic, okay? In the event of an allegation of that nature, would it be typical for stand-down protocol to be initiated fairly promptly? Obviously there is a window here. Ms Pakes may not be able to acknowledge the emails and all that but there is a nine or ten month window here where there was inaction.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: May I ask one final question of Mr. Cooke, Chairman? He is the president of the board. When did the board first become aware of this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: We requested the minutes from boards. Even if they were redacted for matters concerning this, they could have been redacted, and that information has not been furnished here either today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I suppose, though, if we are all being-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: To that Chair, with respect, I would add that when someone becomes aware of a concern, that it should also be escalated and acted upon, even when not necessarily made in the form of a complaint. I would like to add one last issue, and it is probably more for Dr. May than anybody else. It comes back to the earlier questions from Deputy Malcolm Byrne. I have sat on seven different boards...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: Should concerns be raised at the board before they are escalated to complaints? The witnesses are saying to us today that they only became aware of them when they became complaints.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: Historically, did that happen prior to this incident?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: So that only happened as a relatively new thing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Safeguarding Policies and Procedures within the Football Association of Ireland: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I was going to ask generic questions. I have one last generic question.