Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I accept that. I am just making an observation. I understand he has been invited by Senator Lombard to appear before a committee. I hope he avails of that opportunity to discuss the matter. I have great regard for him. He has great abilities and a great vision. He did not so much as have a pop at the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, but at the people they were representing and whose views they were putting forward. I understand his agenda, including a strong element on investment, and I am taken by the fact he is talking about investing €500 million – that is wonderful – but he dropped something new to the debate, namely, that GAAGO was effectively aimed at raising money. I have attended committee meetings time out of number.I questioned the GAA at the time it did the deal with Sky. It moved on from that and set up GAAGO. All of the time, the entire direction of the GAA was that it was about expanding the reach of its games, principally to the diaspora. Nothing was ever contained in those presentations about it being a revenue-generating exercise. That is new. Jarlath Burns said yesterday that he did not need to come back to the committee because it had all been addressed in the past. That is not the case. It is a new departure. I am not blaming him. The GAA is a wonderful organisation. It is doing amazing work that is mainly built on a foundation of volunteerism. I could quote numerous people who have been greatly upset by the way in which this has developed, both in the past and in recent days. I totally accept that GAAGO has a place and that there are games which would not be seen elsewhere if it was not there.

We should have a debate in the House. I appeal to the president of the GAA to come with us, as previous presidents did. Give us an opportunity to have a frank and open discussion.