The Fianna Fáil Minister of State for Sport has broken rank with his senior Fine Gael colleague over a decision to stop all funding for League of Ireland astro pitches.
Charlie McConalogue said he agreed “absolutely” with Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan on the need to “come down like a tonne of bricks” on fans who threw flares on to the pitch at Oriel Park in Dundalk during the Louth derby last Friday between Dundalk and Drogheda United.
“I don’t believe, however, that we should be collectively punishing all clubs for the criminal behaviour of a small number of people participating in hooliganism,” he told the Dáil.
The two Ministers are meeting the FAI on Wednesday to discuss the incident and violence at league games.
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McConalogue was responding in the Dáil to Louth Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú, who said O’Donovan’s view of “a plague on all your houses” and pausing funding “does not help”.
O’Donovan said in the wake of the match, the first played on the Department of Sport-funded astro surface at Oriel Park, that “any and all astroturfs going into League of Ireland clubs are to be stopped until I’m satisfied that the League of Ireland and the FAI are going to take this seriously”.
O’Donovan, who attended the match, acknowledged that stopping funding for astro pitches in the League of Ireland would “hurt a lot of people” but added “we can’t be making investments on behalf of the taxpayer ... to literally see them being set on fire”.
A 12-year-old boy suffered facial injuries when he was struck by a flare thrown in the stand, and significant damage was caused to the new pitch.
McConalogue said the Government committed €3 million in the budget to supporting the League of Ireland.
“But we must also ensure it’s safe for all ... in particular families, to attend these games,” he said.
“Minister O’Donovan’s announcement on the pause of funding to all League of Ireland clubs was made with this objective in mind.
“The decision was Minister Donovan’s and announced before consulting with myself as Minister of State for Sport.
“I would agree with him absolutely on the need to come down like a tonne of bricks to stamp out this behaviour.”
But McConalogue said he did not believe they should be “collectively punishing all clubs for the criminal behaviour of a small number of people participating in hooliganism.
“We must come down forcibly on this behaviour, and there must be consequences for the people carrying out these acts and indeed the responsible club.”
He said they had to make sure clubs not responsible “are supported and not affected by the recklessness of others”.
Ó Murchú said the two Ministers should work with the FAI, the Louth clubs and other stakeholders to find a solution “to what is a problem across the League of Ireland”.
But the Dundalk-based TD stressed the league did not have the money for security that English Premier League teams did.
McConalogue noted that Sinn Féin TD Joanne Byrne, who is co-chair of Drogheda United, was not in attendance in the Dáil “to provide leadership” on the issue.
He said it would be helpful to hear that Drogheda United “would be stepping up” to take responsibility for the cost of repairing the damage.
Ó Murchú said his colleague “utterly calls out what is abject criminal activity”.
He added “she called on the FAI to ensure that Ireland would not play genocidal Israel and on that basis there has been action taken by Drogheda United, that is being dealt with at the minute.
“It probably limits what Deputy Byrne can speak about, but she has 100 per cent said this has been an ongoing problem with the League of Ireland.”
