Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Carrigy's amendment. He and I, and, indeed, all members of the committee, have engaged extensively with many sporting organisations throughout the course of the deliberations. We have heard their experiences both positive and negative from the online sphere and they have made their contributions towards this Bill.

Senator Carrigy specifically mentioned Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, Mr. Larry McCarthy, who received much media attention for his address to the congress at the start of the year when he specifically called for us as legislators to look at the online abuse of players. He drew a distinction between professional and amateur sportspeople. He did so on the basis that the amateur sportsperson has to get up on a Monday morning and go to work and live a completely different life to the one he or she occupies in a professional sporting scenario. Mr. McCarthy called for specific protections for those not just in the GAA but in all amateur codes in the country. That is what sparked the debate. He just wanted a debate in the context of this piece of legislation and for it to be recognised. The all-encompassing way in which Senator Carrigy worded the amendment in terms of engagement with the Federation of Irish Sport is the proper and correct way to accomplish that. I support the amendment.