Anthony Lawlor (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like other speakers, I wish the new Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, all the best. It is a difficult task to fulfil. I know he has come from a difficult area. I welcome the decision to take someone from outside this jurisdiction to head up An Garda Síochána.

I wish to raise an issue relating to the sports capital programme. I am delighted that €40 million will be allocated but I would like the Leader to ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to come to the House for a discussion on it. There are many clubs that want to find out when this process will start. They have also had difficulties with applications in the past. Why have some clubs and organisations failed when it comes to getting the funding for which they have applied? I would welcome it if the Minister could come in here and give us a briefing so that all clubs can hear about it so that when they apply for funding, they will have all their ducks in a row.

I wish to comment on a disgraceful decision by the central competitions control committee, CCCC, of the GAA yesterday regarding the Kildare-Mayo football match. Having watched the draw earlier that morning, the Kildare players were expecting to play the match in Newbridge. What took place showed a total disregard for both players, management and supporters of Kildare GAA and Mayo GAA, which would have expected the game to take place in Newbridge. The CCCC has gone against its own rules. If one sets down rules and regulations, one should at least follow them but this is typical of the GAA hierarchy. It does not have any regard for the people at grassroots level. As far as I am concerned, it is Newbridge or nowhere.