I echo the comments about grassroots football and the dire lack of funding. The way the clubs manage to provide a service is incredible. I will start by condemning the carry-on of the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, in stopping the funding for the entire League of Ireland based on one event, which was a flare being thrown on a pitch. He thinks that flare is a declaration of war but he is fine with what the Israelis are doing apparently. I will focus my comments on the Ireland-Israel game. Of all the things that have happened in recent times, it is absolutely disgusting that the Irish Government, which is meant to be a neutral anti-imperialist country, is meant to support the ICJ case against Israel and is meant to support the Palestinian state and people, would not only consider that the game is appropriate but would actively insist and put pressure on the players and the team to play it. Oscar Wilde said that a cynic is someone "who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing". That exemplifies the Government and the people leading it. They have got absolutely no moral backbone whatsoever. The Government is out of touch on this like it was on the fuel issue and the cost of living. It is way out of touch with where people are on this issue. This game should not happen. It will not happen, in my opinion, because I think people are going to mobilise. I think they will protest and will stop this game. I noticed that at 6 p.m. tonight, a campaign was launched online to stop the match. This is the beginning; it is the opening salvo in it. Simon Harris said we should decouple sports and politics. We would love to. That is an absolutely facetious thing to say. The Minister of State knows there is no separation. Presumably, the Minister of State is okay with Russia not participating in FIFA. It is, therefore, a political entity. Micheál Martin said it should go ahead and, obviously, we have already talked about the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, saying that the team has no connection to the genocide. This is where the Government is absolutely and utterly wrong. The Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, said the same thing. First, let us have a look at the destruction of sports facilities. Let us have a look at the destruction with 1,007 athletes, at least, being killed in the genocide including 421 footballers, most of them kids; 90% of the infrastructure in Gaza destroyed; and 288 facilities destroyed. The cruelty has not stopped. This is not a normal football federation. I will give the Minister of State the facts again. Six Israeli teams currently play in occupied Palestinian territory in direct contradiction to FIFA and UEFA's own rules but, of course, FIFA and UEFA, being so corrupt, do absolutely nothing about it. Amnesty has noted that UEFA and FIFA are providing funding to the Israel Football Association, which is then giving it to clubs in the illegal settlements. Three of the biggest teams in Israeli football, namely, Beitar, Maccabi and Hapoel have a horrendous history of racism against Palestinians and a lot of the players playing on the national team play for those clubs. A popular chant for Maccabi is, "Let the IDF win and fuck the Arabs". Another one is, "Why is school out in Gaza? There are no children left there." Does the Minister of State think that is appropriate? Does he think that is normal? Yet, the Government is insisting on normalising this team. It is going to give them visas. They do not even need visas - Palestinians need visas; they do not - to come to this country with their entourage, which is actively participating in a genocide in Palestine and now in Lebanon, and the Minister of State thinks that is okay and that is moral. It is absolutely despicable. I also want to mention that Beitar, the team Netanyahu supports, has never signed an Arab. In the children's game, they separate Arab and Jew on the basis of apartheid. Members are in the IDF and one of the players is putting up videos about his participation in the attack on Lebanon as well. The women's team put their IDF jerseys on and so forth. I do not want to run out of time; I just want to finish with a couple of things. The Palestine solidarity movement is one of the most positive things that has happened in this country and in the world because it is an antidote to the hate, racism and misogyny we have seen in society. I am appealing and have confidence in this regard but this movement and trade unions and grassroots clubs need to build a massive rank-and-file campaign to stop this match from happening. We need to organise meetings in areas. We need to organise meetings of clubs. It is unbelievable that we have to put Bertie Ahern up as an example. Bertie Ahern refused to issue visas to the Yugoslav team because of the Balkans war at the time. Charlie Haughey intervened about South Africa and apartheid. It is not that they are great; it is just that the Government is so pathetic in comparison and that is really saying a lot.

Sentiment score: -0.08