Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

270. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will consider funding a national advertising campaign to stamp out the abuse of referees and officials as reported in many sports over the past number of months, given the importance of sport to this country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15412/23]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Any form of abuse, discrimination or inappropriate behaviour towards anyone involved in sport is absolutely unacceptable. Referees, and all other officials, and players, are an integral part of our sporting structure and deserve to be respected for the important role they play in sport. There have unfortunately been too many examples of this abuse in recent times and it cannot be allowed to continue.

It is important that sporting organisations across all sports provide a safe environment for referees, officials and players and, where abuse and threatening behaviour is aimed at them, appropriate action must be taken by the sporting organisations.

While the primary responsibility for ensuring a respectful and disciplined environment rests with individual participants and their National Governing Bodies, my officials have commenced discussions with Sport Ireland on this serious matter with a view to seeing what horizontal actions could be taken to help address this issue. Sport Ireland plans to establish a working group of key stakeholders to develop a national Code of Conduct template across Irish sport, incorporating respect for, and the elimination of abuse towards, referees, officials, coaches, and players which could be used by sporting organisations to promote good practice within their sport. The establishment of the working group will commence shortly.

All allegations of criminal behaviour, such as assaults, should be reported to An Garda Siochána for investigation, as a matter of course.

This is an important measure which I believe could greatly assist sporting bodies in addressing the issue of abuse of referees and officials and I have asked Sport Ireland to progress this work as quickly as possible.