Charlie McConalogue
Donegal · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“There are indications that the opt-out mechanism for the text and data mining exception is not working well in practice. Evidence gathered by the Danish Presidency showed that some activity is taking place on the licensing of works for AI, but that it is uneven across member states and subsectors of the creative sector.”
“The proposal involved the development of grass pitches, an Astroturf facility, flood-lighting and dressing rooms. The Football Association of Ireland wrote to my Department in 2023 stating that it no longer intended to proceed with the LSSIF-funded centre of excellence in Glanmire.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The programme for Government commits to maintaining sports funding to get more people participating in all levels of sport, particularly targeting cohorts in society where there are lower than average participation levels.”
“This is Ireland's first national strategy for diabetes and it sets out recommendations for action in relation to type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, diabetes in pregnancy and paediatric diabetes. The strategy marks a major milestone in diabetes care in Ireland and represents the development of a unified approach to its delivery.”
“It is anticipated that the final business case will be submitted shortly to my Department. In relation to the site in Glanmire, my Department has been informed that the property has now been leased to Riverstown Football Club by Cork County Council.”
“The structure of that payment, which was agreed between An Post and the postmasters, is designed to maintain and strengthen our post office network and to keep it sustainable, taking into account the number of post offices in an area, the distance to the next nearest post office and the rural nature versus the population base that it migh…”
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“At that meeting, the school was provided with a progress update and advised that the design team was due to submit an addendum stage 2a report to the Department. The outstanding information for the addendum stage 2a report was received in the Department on 31 October 2025. Departmental officials will carry out a full review of the addendum report and the stakeholders' meeting will be scheduled once the review is completed. In July, the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026 to 2030 under the national development plan, NDP. As part of this NDP allocation, the Department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs.”
“The design team was asked to complete a review and audit of the floor area schedules and to refine some design elements in order to meet the approved schedule of accommodation. A further interim workshop was held on 22 March 2024 between the Department and the design team architect, where further refinements and adjustment to floor area were discussed. Upon receipt of the revised stage 2a report, departmental officials carried out an initial review and arranged an architectural workshop with the design team lead in May of this year to discuss it further. In early June 2025, a further meeting was held with the wider design team, school authorities and departmental officials in attendance.”
“However, due to a scope change to include an increase of classrooms for children with special educational needs, it was decided that new school buildings would be provided. The design team submitted the initial stage 1 report in April 2023 and, following the submission of an addendum report in August of that year, the project was approved to move to the next stage. The design team submitted its stage 2a submission report to the Department in January 2024 for review. Upon review, some key concerns were identified by departmental officials and the school authorities and design team were advised in advance that, in place of the stakeholders meeting, there would be a further interim stage 2a workshop to discuss and assist the design team in progressing its stage 2a submission in a positive manner.”
“I thank the Deputy. I am taking this Topical Issue matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton, to outline to the Dáil the current position of the joint school project for St. John Bosco Junior Boys School, St. John Bosco Senior Boys School and Mary, Help of Christians Girls National School in Dublin 7. The joint school building project the Deputy outlined the background of will deliver two new 16-classroom primary schools, with additional classrooms for children with special educational needs for the senior boys school and the girls school and a new 11-classroom primary school with additional classrooms for children with special educational needs for the junior boys school. Initially, it was anticipated that this joint project would be delivered in the form of an extension and refurbishment.”
“The SEAI also continuously monitors the performance of all contractors operating under the warmer homes scheme, including in relation to the quality, level of complaints, timelines and general administration. I will certainly feed back the Deputy's key points to the Minister and the Department. I will emphasise the importance of ensuring that capacity continues to increase.”
“That is reflecting the fact that a lot more is happening whenever a retrofit is taking place. The important piece, which will have a positive influence and will help to address the important point the Deputy is addressing, is the fact that the SEAI has put in place the procurement process for the new warmer homes contractor panel, which commenced in recent months. It is anticipated that it will attract additional capacity for the programme over the next four to five years. That tender carries an estimated value of €1.1 billion, representing a record programme of commitment for that five-year period. The SEAI expects to have the contractor panel in place for quarter 2. Its objective will be to support that continued growth with a focus on the scale, quality and output.”
“I will relay the urgency of the need to increase the capacity to the Minister and the Department as a result of this debate. As I indicated in my previous contribution, we have seen a significant increase in the number of applicants. The number has gone from 3,000 homes in 2021 to 13,500 in 2024. There has been a massive increase in the number of applicants, which is obviously putting on pressure by way of demand. It is important that the capacity to deal with that and to deliver on this scheme matches the demand levels and the budget that has been allocated every year, which this year has increased, as I said earlier. The other challenging factor that is influencing waiting time is the fact that deeper retrofits are taking place. That is reflected in the increase in cost from €2,500 ten years ago to €29,000 now.”
“Department officials continue to work with the SEAI to further accelerate and maximise the output of fully funded energy upgrades with the objective of minimising wait times.”
“The reduction in waiting times follows a range of measures introduced by the Department and the SEAI, including the allocation of additional staff to the warmer homes scheme, a significantly increased budget allocation and active contract engagement with management by the SEAI to increase contractor output, as well as actions to address ongoing supply chain pressures. A pilot delivering additional homes from the warmer homes scheme waiting list under the energy efficiency obligation scheme was introduced last year. Importantly, the SEAI launched on 8 December a procurement process to establish a new €1.2 billion contractor panel to be in place by quarter 2 next year. This will support continued growth, with a focus on scale, quality and output under the scheme.”
“Once a home is allocated to a contractor, the completion times can vary based on the types of works being undertaken at a home and the lead time for ordering and delivery of materials and products, such as windows, are factors. Homeowner availability for upgrades in their homes can also be a factor. The average waiting time from application to completion of upgrade works to date in 2025 has been 21 months for the worst performing homes and 22 months for better performing homes. It is important to note that these averages represent a significant reduction since the first half of 2022, when the average waiting time was 27.5 months.”
“With regard to waiting times, which I know are key to the point the Deputy is making, increased awareness of the multiple benefits of retrofit and improvement to the warmer homes scheme is driving increased levels of demand for the scheme, with just over 45,000 applications received over the period from January 2022 to the end of October 2025. Over the same period, more than 24,500 homes have been upgraded under the scheme. We had 45,000 applications and in the same period, 24,500 homes were upgraded. For homes that have been allocated to a contractor for works under the scheme so far this year, the average waiting time was just under 15 months.”
“This year's budget includes an allocation of €250 million for the scheme, which is a €50 million increase. That represents an elevenfold increase on the 2020 expenditure figure. The scheme has been delivering a greater number of deeper and more complex upgrades in recent years, and this is reflected in the average cost of upgrades, which the SEAI indicates has increased from €2,600 in 2015 to over €29,000 this year. These deeper upgrades mean that more lower-income households are benefiting significantly from warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes with lower energy bills and reduced emissions.”
“They include delivering more B2 equivalent home retrofits each year from 2026 to 2030, with a focus on lower-income households, improving the provision of grants and financing models for home owners, including older people who wish to retrofit, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing costs, as well as supporting group retrofitting projects. The warmer homes scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people at risk of energy poverty by providing fully funded retrofits. The scheme is operated by the SEAI on behalf of the Department and is funded through carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development fund, ERDF Last year saw a record spend of almost €230 million under the scheme. As reported by the SEAI, this resulted in 7,743 upgrades being provided to lower-income households.”
“I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this issue today. The climate action plan includes targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a building energy rating, BER, of B2, cost optimal, and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by the end of this decade. The national retrofit plan sets out the Government's approach to achieving those targets. The programme for Government 2025 contains a number of commitments in relation to retrofitting.”
“In addition, the drug-related intimidation and violence engagement, DRIVE, project, which launched earlier this year has established effective systems for assisting those affected by drug-related intimidation. There are over 400 publicly-funded drugs services, including family support services, across the country which can advise and support people affected by drug-related intimidation. Family support services are critical because drug-related violence nearly always becomes an issue for the whole family. There is more information available for anyone who needs support on the [ driveproject.ie ] website I thank Deputy McCormack again for raising this today and assure him that the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs and the Garda Commissioner will do everything they can do bring the people responsible to justice.”
“It is also worth noting that An Garda Síochána operates a divisional model which means that it uses all of the resources within the division, not just the Garda station within a particular community, to respond to local demands on the service it provides. We can see throughout our communities the damage and devastation that organised drug crime groups heap on society, not least in Deputy McCormack's local community over this past weekend. Tackling the issue of drug-related intimidation is a high priority for An Garda Síochána. Nominated Garda inspectors are available throughout the country through the drug-related intimidation reporting programme to assist victims of intimidation.”
“I join Deputy McCormack in extending my thoughts and prayers to the lady who was injured in the attack. I wish her a speedy recovery. Deputy McCormack's point in relation to Garda resources in Edenderry and Offaly is massively important. I understand that at the end of October, there were 399 gardaí assigned to the Laois-Offaly Garda division, a 45% increase on ten years ago. They are also supported by 51 Garda staff who provide really important support to gardaí and free them up to focus on front-line policing duties. Eight probationary gardaí were assigned to the Laois-Offaly Garda division this year and 12 probationers were assigned last year.”
“Significant numbers of gardaí have attested from the Garda college throughout this year and as more probationary gardaí attest across 2026, all communities will see a benefit as they are assigned out to their stations. Ultimately, the Commissioner will make the decision on where Garda resources are assigned but the Minister is assured that a number of factors are taken into account, including crime trends in an area, demographics and local resourcing requirements. I assure Deputy McCormack that in relation to the heinous and murderous act we saw at the weekend that resulted in the tremendously tragic and unacceptable loss of lives, no stone will be left unturned. Every avenue will be explored to make sure that those responsible are brought to justice.”
“Tackling the scourge of drug dealing and targeting the work of organised crime groups who inflict intimidation, violence and misery on families and communities across Ireland is a top priority for the Government and An Garda Síochána. The Deputy mentioned Garda resources. The Government is investing record amounts in An Garda Síochána to ensure the Garda Commissioner has the resources he needs to tackle the illegal drugs trade. A Garda budget of €2.59 billion for next year will fund the recruitment of up to 1,000 new gardaí, 200 more Garda staff and a doubling of the Garda Reserve to over 600 next year. A total of 794 garda recruits entered the Garda College across 2025, the largest intake in a year since 2018.”
“The gardaí have given assurances they will relentlessly pursue the violent and dangerous criminals for this murderous attack. They will be brought to justice. I appreciate that this incident will be shocking to people in the community in Edenderry and across the country and may naturally give them pause for concern about their own safety. I reassure them that the gardaí are following a direct line of inquiry and they have a strong record of bringing dangerous and violent criminals to justice. It has been well reported that gardaí suspect criminals involved in the drugs trade in the midlands may be behind the most heinous act.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this. On behalf of the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, I thank him for addressing it on the floor of the Dáil. I join the Minister, Taoiseach and the Deputy in strongly condemning the deliberate callous attack on the house in Edenderry, County Offaly, over the weekend which tragically resulted in the loss of the lives of Mary Holt and young Tadhg Farrell. I join with the Deputy in extending my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Mary and young Tadhg on this absolutely unacceptable travesty and loss of life. There is no place in a civilised society for such heinous violence. An Garda Síochána has commenced a murder investigation into all the circumstances surrounding this fatal attack. I join An Garda Síochána in appealing to anyone with information to come forward.”
“It is certainly my objective as a public representative in government to work every week to try to make sure the progress we have seen is continued - just as it was my objective to hold the then Government to account in terms of progress on this when I was in opposition - and to make sure we get to the stage where every family can get out of the nightmare they should never have had to live through in the first place.”
“The Ministers of State, Deputy O'Sullivan and Deputy Moran, have had meetings in this regard, and the Minister, Deputy Browne, is very committed to bringing this issue to a finality as well. I ask that he bring this decision to a finality by Christmas because those homeowners need that certainty as to what is going to happen. They need to know they will be accommodated with a different solution that will allow them to move away from where they are, rebuild and get new homes elsewhere, and not rebuild in the place they are in now. All of that is required. There has been massive work and progress to date. I see it in my own county. It is a stressful and traumatic experience for everyone concerned. Thankfully, some people have come out of that. Many are in the middle of it. Many are still waiting and have not got to it.”
“When that legislation comes through the House, it is important it fully include the capacity for multi-unit developments to be fully replaced where they have defective concrete blocks. It is going to be really important. At the moment, they cannot avail of this scheme, but that legislation needs to come through the House and there needs to be follow-through as well. I recognise the work of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, with the residents of Elm Park in Buncrana. A number of homes there were built on a flood plain, somewhere they should never have been built. All of them have defective concrete in them. They cannot be rebuilt in the place where they are and will have to be moved.”
“We must ensure we act in relation to the mortgaging of homes that are not necessarily affected, or will not be affected long term but cannot be sold. Again, this is because we do not have the standard in place to be able to inform conveyancing decisions. This too is an issue that needs to be addressed. The other big thing we need to see concerns apartments and multi-unit developments. This is tied to the legislation for defective apartments in Dublin and other parts of the country. That legislation has not come to the House yet. Any multi-unit developments in Donegal are waiting on the east coast apartment legislation to be dealt with in order that they will be included in it.”
“The appeals process likewise has been too slow. It has only started to move in recent times. That also needs to push on. Likewise, the review of the IS 465 standard by the National Standards Authority of Ireland needs to move. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, said today that is expected in the first quarter of next year. It does need to come then because other deadlines that have been given before have been missed. We need to see that. It will then inform the new standard, which will allow people who have options 2 to 5 to get their decisions reviewed against up-to-date and current science. It must also inform the new standard for concrete blocks that will be coming out of it. Again, this must be informed by the up-to-date science the authority is dealing with.”
“There is a massive amount of work yet to take place and that we need to do. There is a big challenge at the moment with building and trades and massive pressure on those areas. Building capacity is now the main constraint on the number of houses that can be done. About 1,328 in total have had their grant approved. That is welcome, but there is more to be done. As we go forward, we must make sure the scheme is appropriate and adjusted as necessary to real-life experience. More also needs to be done on other issues. The social housing scheme should be in place but is not. It is not good enough it is not there. That needs to be brought in immediately. As with the private sector and people in their private homes, there are also council homes that need to be addressed. This aspect has been too slow and needs to be dealt with.”
“When the old scheme was in place, from my memory, work had commenced and started on a number of houses in the high double digits. It was a small number. We have seen a step change with the new legislation and massive progress on the ground. If we are looking at Donegal, and I will focus on my county alone in relation to this issue, 784 homes in total have commenced work up to this point, and that number is increasing every week. A total of 784 houses in Donegal that have now commenced. Of those 784 houses, 205 are now complete and have finished the job. Those people have their homes remediated and are, thankfully, out of that nightmare. Of the rest, 579 are under construction. That is in Donegal alone. It is a massive step change in the last two and a half years. You can see that with your eyes as you travel around the county.”
“Under the old scheme, the maximum was €247,000 on a 90:10 basis. A maximum of 90% could be received and there was no storage and no rent. Homeowners had to come up with the upfront cost of testing, which was in the region of €7,000. There was also no availability or access to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland energy grants. Many homeowners are able to avail of between €25,000 and €30,000 - in most cases anyway, it is €25,000 - alongside the actual grant rate. This is important because this was not there in the last one. It is a significant and massive departure for the scheme from what was there in the past, which certainly did not work. There has been a significant departure and progress in what we are seeing on the ground.”
“I know the Minister will bring forward a decision in relation to side-by-side building for people with medical needs. That will be important and it will be important that it properly encapsulates people with medical needs and is inclusive of the different people who have been brought to his attention. That is something I have been working on with him. Another important step allows two semi-detached builds to be progressed at the same time rather than having to be done separately, which created many issues, had to be addressed and should not be the case. The defective concrete block legislation was passed in the summer of 2022 and the new scheme came in in the summer of 2023. We have seen very significant progress. It bears no resemblance to the scheme that was there two and half years ago and was in place until summer 2023.”
“It is important it be addressed now. New science is under consideration by the National Standards Authority that any homeowner who had less than full demolition in their original grant would get the opportunity to have the decision reviewed against the new standard which, we have no doubt, will be different from what was there previously. Another important step is the change so somebody who was not the relevant owner but was married to, cohabiting with or in civil partnership with the relevant owner at the time the legislation was brought in and subsequently, for example, separated but is still living in that property - I know there are a small number of such cases - can avail of the scheme and get his or her current home remediated.”
“We would not want to see it going into the new year because people are waiting on the retrospective payment in relation to the 10%, in particular. The steps taken in the Bill are welcome. There is a 10% increase to the maximum overall rate, bringing it from €420,000 to €462,000, and a retrospective increase of around 8% in square foot rates. It is important that is applied to people who started building and got their grant rate before October 2024. The increase in the number of weeks allowed for the completion of a build from 65 to 130 is important, as is reducing the notice needed for an extension from 12 weeks to two. The option is being put into legislation for owners who already had an option 2 to 5 to avail of a technical review once I.S. 465 is finalised. That issue has arisen since the original legislation came through.”
“I know that is the commitment and desire of people across the House. There are three weeks of Oireachtas time left, including this week, before Christmas. The Opposition parties facilitated the waiving of pre-legislative scrutiny after discussion at the Oireachtas committee. It is entirely doable, by coming together over the next three weeks, to give this attention now, after being published this morning, which is, again, later than I would have liked. There are three weeks to fully assess it, bring it through Committee Stage in the Dáil and bring it through Second and Committee Stages in the Seanad, where it is also possible to interrogate it and for amendments to be fully discussed. Those three weeks should be utilised, if at all possible, to bring the legislation through.”
“I recognise the commitment of the Minister, Deputy Browne, to this process. I know it has been a frustration to him. He has wanted to get this delivered and brought in. Each time I have pressed him over the past year, he has equally been pressing to move it on and has expressed frustration in terms of the time as well. He has worked hard, as have his officials. We see today 28 pages of technical legislation to implement these changes. It is unfortunate it took that amount of time. I also recognise the work of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, who has given his commitment to this process and legislation, as well as his work on behalf of the Elm Park residents in Buncrana. While it has taken too long to get to this point, it is important we complete it by Christmas, if at all possible.”
“I welcome this Bill. It will deliver some much-needed changes to the original legislation. It is unfortunate it has taken a year to get to this point. That is longer than it should have taken. I worked hard at Cabinet on securing the decision in October 2024 that whenever the new rates came in, they would be applied retrospectively. It has taken 12 months for that to come to the Dáil in this legislation. One of the frustrations of the implementation and development of the defective block legislation and schemes in recent years has been the amount of time taken to step out each part of the process. It is nonetheless welcome. I know it is complex to deal with legislation but it should not have taken that length of time. Nonetheless, it is important and welcome we are at this point in the Dáil today and getting it into place.”
“We do it by having the right policies and support network in place, as I said, in terms of the work over the past three or four years, in terms of developing the national approach and the programme to support this and, in particular, the appointment of the high performance culture and integrity adviser to support that work. The latter is an important piece to do with it. Sport Ireland certainly is leading out on this. We very much support that work and acknowledge the absolute importance of it too.”
“In August 2023, a new national code of conduct template for sporting organisations was launched by Sport Ireland. That code of conduct template sets out the guidelines and principles and promotes the behaviour and conduct expected from our athletes, coaches, parents, guardians, supporters, referees, officials and club members.”
“Sport Ireland has a comprehensive approach to athlete well-being and that is reflected in its athlete welfare policy under the high performance strategy, which runs from 2021 to 2032. To support that policy, national governing bodies are expected to develop their own internal documents, which reflect best practice strategies in respect of athlete welfare. In 2021, Sport Ireland introduced a culture evolution programme to support national governing bodies to protect and maximise the holistic experience and welfare of athletes, coaches and support staff. This includes a culture review process, an audit delivered by the high performance culture and integrity adviser. That high performance culture and integrity adviser was appointed in 2021 to support that process and to support that engagement with the national governing bodies as well.”
“Sport Ireland has informed my Department that when alerted to athlete welfare concerns within the sport in question, it reacted sympathetically, promptly and robustly to the issues within the context of its own statutory remit. Rowing Ireland, in consultation with Sport Ireland, undertook an independent review after the 2024 Paris Olympics and this prompted changes within its high-performance programme. The previous high-performance director, on conclusion of his contract, has departed the role and the programme is now operating under new leadership. It is also important to note that all national governing bodies are independent autonomous organisations responsible for their own governance, including safeguarding procedures, personnel choices, and disciplinary and complaints processes.”
“First, and as I have previously and consistently said, it is imperative that it is made clear that there is simply no place for abuse of any kind in sport and that there is zero tolerance for any actions that endanger welfare, whether for participants, staff or those who work for and support sports across the country. Sport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, works with national governing bodies of sport, NGBs, to ensure that appropriate policies are put in place to take a proactive approach to safeguarding by identifying and mitigating risks to athlete welfare. It also works with national governing bodies to ensure mechanisms are in place to appropriately react to and handle complaints or issues when they arise.”
“You see people giving voluntarily of their time, not only in terms of the work that goes on day in, day out, every week day and weekend, providing coaching but also when it comes to developing that club, with people coming together to work, often voluntarily as well, to make sure that whatever funding is there from the Government and through fundraising goes as far as it possibly can. We will be back at that next year with the reopening of the sports facility fund.”
“This is something Deputy Smith is committed to and he has been speaking to me about it separately. I look forward to visiting the Deputy and Deputy Maxwell in the constituency in advance of the next round opening up, and making sure that we provide every opportunity for clubs to apply and to be funded. It is wonderful to see the impact and the value for money that any investment by the Government results in. When it comes into a club, you see everyone come together.”
“We are really ramping it up and we are seeing the benefit of it everywhere in terms of improved facilities. They are needed. We are seeing improved participation in sport across all age groups and massive efforts are being put in by the clubs and volunteers in terms of facilitating people and giving opportunities. Of course, that puts pressure on facilities. There is barely a club you could visit that is not under pressure for space and capacity. It is important we continue to support that effort and that is what we will do next year. We are completing a review of the outgoing sports capital - our community sports facility fund round - in relation to how it worked to make sure when we open it up next time around it is as practical as possible for clubs to apply and benefit from it.”
“I thank the Deputy. He has been a strong advocate, as has the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, for sports capital development and for backing clubs in his constituency. We are preparing to reopen to new applications for the community sports facility fund by the end of spring with the objective of making funding announcements by the end of next year. The recent pattern has generally been a round every two years. The 2024 round saw record funding of about €270 million in total. Over 3,000 clubs across the country benefited from it. The round before that was about €160 million, so there has been a significant step change. The round two years before that was in double digits, around €80 million. That is a reflection of where the Government has gone to back the ambition of clubs and organisations across the country to develop sporting facilities.”
“That is something we have been doing and that we continue to do. We now want to make sure the opportunity provided by Euro 2028 adds to that very significantly in a way that lasts into the future.”
“We should not forget the support that we have given to football over the past number of years, which we continue to give. Some €75 million was allocated to the FAI between 2019 and 2024, with €30 million specifically to support football development aimed at promoting participation by young people. That has been added to in the most recent budget through the investment in the academies and the very significant ongoing investment through the community sports facilities fund, which supports the work of soccer clubs right across the country in developing their facilities, and through the large scale sport infrastructure fund, through which we have made significant commitments to the development of Dalymount Park, Wexford Youths' stadium, Sligo Rovers' grounds and, significantly, Finn Harps' Finn Park in Donegal.”
“That is the type of thing that really cuts through and inspires and energise people to participate in sport. From a Government point of view, in terms of the investment and policy structure, we will be doing all we can to maximise that and provide the opportunity for people to participate and engage.”
“We are certainly determined, from a Government point of view, to maximise the opportunity and to ensure from a point of view of participation that every opportunity is taken to ensure it cuts through and gets people involved in football and other sport. The commitment of the Government in the most recent budget to football and the establishment of academies speaks to how we have been supporting football very strongly in the country. While at Government level will be doing all we can, there is no doubt moments like last weekend and the inspiration provided by Troy Parrott and the rest of the team encourage participation and young people. I recall watching matches in tournaments in the past and I would be bursting out the door afterwards, even if I was on my own, to hit the ball.”
“We are engaging in very strong detail with other organisations and national agencies to make sure it impacts as strongly as possible. We are also engaging with the FAI on discussions about the legacy piece and how we can best maximise the impact of that. I certainly hope we will have another football tournament to participate in between now and then, depending on how the play-offs go in March, but Euro 2028 is a very exciting opportunity for the country. We will work across the board with all stakeholders to make sure we maximise the impact of it in every way possible.”
“We discussed this in good detail earlier, but the objective will be to ensure there is as much of a legacy and impact across the country from the hosting of Euro 2028 as possible. Being able to host seven games as part of the tournament, including the quarter final, is a great opportunity. I have no doubt it will really take hold of the country over the course of the period. As I said, we estimate the cost at €92 million to €93 million. The economic return to the wider economy will be much more significant than that and it makes a lot of sense from that point of view but we also want to ensure there is a return in the form of an impact on participation in football and sport generally and that we maximise that as much as we can. We are just under three years away from the hosting of that tournament.”