Pico Lopes returned with his wife Leah and baby Diego yesterday and it is amazing story. It is a fantastic uplifting story. I know the Leader loves his football. Pico is a real advert for Irish football and League of Ireland football. He has spent all of his career in the League of Ireland, playing with a couple of different clubs, including Shamrock Rovers for the past nine or ten years and achieving great success I am glad to say. It highlights that we need to invest in the League of Ireland, which has massive potential. When we see what Pico has done, there are so many players like him, who just need to be given the chance and invested in, and they will deliver for Irish football and League of Ireland football.

We need more investment in facilities and academies. I know the Government has made an investment but I strongly believe it is not enough. It is a long way off enough. I believe €3.5 million has been allocated to the academy structures but compare this to the greyhound industry, which gets €19 million every year and it has a shocking dog welfare record. It is absolutely shocking and there is no transparency or accountability. League of Ireland football needs to be backed. We need to invest in players like Pico, we need to ensure the resources and facilities are there and we need to back Irish men's and women's football and back ourselves. The goodwill is there and Pico has shown that it can be done.

If the belief and investment are there, we need to just get on and do it and back Irish football.