Sports ministers say they will not attend Israel/Ireland football match
By Bairbre Holmes, Press Association
Two sports ministers have said they will not attend the upcoming football match between Ireland and Israel.
Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan and Charlie McConalogue, who is a minister of state with a special responsibility for sport, appeared before an Oireachtas committee on Wednesday.
They were asked about the Government’s response to the controversial Nations League fixture.
The Republic of Ireland team are due to face Israel at a neutral venue on September 27th and in Dublin on October 4th.
Fianna Fáil TD Padraig O’Sullivan said he attends all of Ireland’s home games but was choosing not to attend the matches with Israel “as a form of personal protest”.
Both ministers said they also do not intend to attend the match.
Earlier the Social Democrats’ Sinead Gibney had asked them whether the Government had spoken to the FAI about covering any sanctions they might face, should Ireland withdraw from the games.
Playing the matches was a matter for the FAI to decide, McConalogue said.
“There’d be significant repercussions for them within the Uefa system,” he added “which is for them to consider and they’ve made their call and we support their decision.”
He also confirmed the Government had not taken legal advice about what potential sanctions the FAI might face if they were not to go ahead with the fixtures.
Gibney pressed McConalogue repeatedly as to whether he thought the situation amounted to “sportswashing”.
Sportswashing refers to the use of sporting events or teams by governments, individuals and organisations to improve their image by distracting from unethical or controversial activities.
“No, I don’t believe it’s sportswashing,” he replied, “I believe it’s a matter for the footballing bodies to make their decision on.”
“We, as a government, make a decision that we’ve led out and continue to lead out in relation to setting the tone internationally in relation to the recent Israeli actions in Palestine and will continue to do so.”
Patrick O’Donovan is also Minister for Media and Gibney asked if he had “committed to supporting RTÉ to get out of its broadcasting contract to broadcast the Israeli fixtures?”.
He said the broadcaster had made “no approach” to his department.
Asked if the Government had approached RTÉ, O’Donovan said it was an “editorial matter” and if he attempted to contact the broadcaster, Gibney “would be the very first person” to say he had overstepped his remit.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin was also asked on Wednesday if fans of the Irish football team should “examine their conscience” before attending the match.
He said “we desperately need perspective on this”, adding that Ireland had taken a “strong principled stance” on Israel’s actions, and to focus the debate on a football match “does not do justice to the enormity or complexity of the issue”.
