Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Secretary General of my own Department, Mr. Tom O'Mahony, is a long-term member of St. Patrick's Athletic, a club that has something in common with Mayo. They waited nearly 70 years and lost seven or nine cup finals - the hoodoo was on them in the final. I was so happy they won the final this year because that is one hoodoo lifted. There is one more to be lifted so that the Sam Maguire can come back to Mayo, and we hope that will be this year.

In relation to the very serious issue that was raised, I would love to see an all-Ireland soccer team. We have an all-Ireland rugby team and a lot of all-Ireland sporting teams. It would be great for that to happen and, although it is not under my control, it is something that should be looked at. We are a small nation and sport is so important to us. On the issue of the chief executive of the FAI, he did apologise, and rightly so. His song was very unwise, and all I would say is that the funding that I have to worry about goes to grassroots boards. The FAI does a lot of very good work here in Dublin - for example, the midnight leagues - that benefits every section of society, and the funding that I allocated has been spent very well.