FAI HAVE QUESTIONS TO ANSWER ON TREATMENT OF WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM
Labour Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, has called on the Minister for Sport and the FAI to answer questions on the treatment of the Republic of Ireland’s women’s national football team.
“As a firm supporter of promoting women in sport, I was appalled to hear of the treatment of our national women’s football team.
“It is not just an issue of gender equality; it is more an issue of workers’ rights and representative rights than anything else. Effectively, the entire Irish senior women’s soccer team was forced into a situation where the players had to hold a press conference to demand action on their rights as individuals.
“These women who have done us proud on so many occasions are simply demanding they should have representative rights from the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland, which League of Ireland players have and which the senior men’s team have but the FAI is not allowing this.
“Some of the instances they outlined were quite simply appalling. These are people who wear the green of this country in stadiums all over the world. They are not even allowed to have their own tracksuits. They have to share the tracksuits with the under-19s so they have to assemble at Dublin Airport to go abroad to play for their country and they have to change into their tracksuits in the public toilets. This is unbelievable.
“The Minister for Sport and the FAI must now answer questions and provide solutions for lost earnings, match fees amongst many other issues.”