As a State, we are miles behind our EU counterparts in supporting the development of domestic football. Our League of Ireland academies lack funding, lack modern facilities and lack full-time staff. Irish football academies have just ten full-time staff covering them. In comparison, Portugal has 315 staff dedicated to its academies. It is little wonder Portugal is sixth in FIFA rankings. It sees the reward for investing in its young players and domestic league. If we want to be serious about our men's Irish teams ever again competing on the world stage, we need to invest in our footballing academies. It is not a handout; it is an investment. Given that the Government coffers are overflowing, will the Government invest in supporting Irish football and Irish footballing academies?

I think we would all like to see our men's and women's teams do well, but there could not be any suggestion that this Government does not support sporting organisations. Hundreds of millions of euro have been invested in sporting organisations the length and breadth of the country, including soccer clubs or football clubs overall. As regards investing specifically in individual organisations, the Government supports sporting organisations of all kinds. There has to be good governance, and we have to ensure that the funding is spent where it is supposed to be spent, but at all times the Government will work with and engage with the various representative bodies to make sure that players, importantly, get the funding and the support they need.