Paul Bradford (Independent) | Oireachtas source

To conclude, I support the motion. I know the Cathaoirleach is attempting to be helpful and I will try to kill two birds with the one stone. The other issue I would like the Minister of State to take up with Mr. Delaney and the FAI, and to be as robust as possible on, is the shocking state of League of Ireland football. I remember a time in the 1970s when 25,000 people were attending League of Ireland football games in Cork city, when 10,000 or 15,000 were regularly attending derby games in Cork city and, I am sure, when there were huge crowds at Dundalk, Athlone, Dalymount Park and all over the country. We need to put in place a significant restructuring plan for soccer on this island. While the Minister of State is not behind the door when it comes to funding Irish soccer, I ask him to ensure that a significant proportion of the funding is put into a planned redevelopment, regeneration and rebuilding of the League of Ireland. We look for the grandfather clause and the great-grandfather clause to pick up players left, right and centre in England when we would have brilliant soccer players in our towns and villages if the structures were put in place to develop them. That is a project which I hope the Minister of State, as a committed Minister and committed soccer fan, will take on board.