I begin by acknowledging all the great work done by thousands of volunteers who ensure our young people have an opportunity to play football every week. We owe a deep gratitude to all the coaches who turn up week in, week out in all weathers to train our young players to be the best they can be both on and off the pitch. The Dublin schoolboy league is the biggest football league in Europe and without the volunteers it simply would not function. I have seen the great work done by the coaches and board, with a special mention to Éoin Sherlock in my local football club Swords Manor. I am proud to wear its jersey as a mark of respect to the club and what it does for our community. Its impact is felt way beyond the football pitch. Swords Manor was founded back in 1995 and now boasts 600 members, 550 players, 30 teams and 75 volunteers. I also want to acknowledge the other local clubs in Swords. Swords Celtic was founded in 1962 and is one of the oldest clubs in Fingal. River Valley Rangers have 300 members with 22 teams in four different leagues. This is just a snapshot of the amazing work done by soccer clubs in Swords but it is also reflected across the length and breadth of Fingal east. Every club is making our communities better, healthier and safer places for everybody but they need support. They need additional pitches, including all-weather pitches. Many teams are making long journeys just to get to a playable pitch. They also need access to facilities and funding. The positive experience gained on football teams is priceless, so we need to invest more in our clubs. I acknowledge my comrade Deputy Byrne. She grew up with Drogheda United and literally learned how to walk on the football pitch. She went on to become the first and only female chair of a League of Ireland team and I stand in solidarity with her. I also applaud her strength of character and the way she has dealt with an appalling situation over the last couple of months. There is no place for genocide in sport. The Irish football team should not play Israel. I will finish by congratulating the Irish women’s team and wishing them the very best at the weekend.

Sentiment score: 0.29