McAleese Resignation From Gaelic Games Integration Committee Disappointing But Not Surprising
McAleese Resignation From Gaelic Games Integration Committee Disappointing But Not Surprising - The Labour Party
Chairperson of the Oireachtas Sports Committee and Labour Party TD Alan Kelly has paid tribute to the work carried out by Dr Mary McAleese today following news that she has stepped down as chairperson of the Integration Committee overseeing the Integration of the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association and other organisations.
Deputy Kelly said:
“I firstly want to pay tribute to Dr McAleese for her work carried out on this project to date. It is a disappointing but not surprising update. Dr McAleese was deeply committed to the integration project but it was never clear that the various bodies would meet the timelines that the now former Chairperson had committed to honestly and with enthusiasm based on the work of her committee. You cannot put a Chairperson like Dr McAleese in a position where she makes such a commitment and then not alone not honour it but say it could take another 5 years”.
“The GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association had originally committed to integration into a single governing body by 2027, but through the testimony given during the Oireachtas Sports Committee it wasn’t clear how this was actually going to happen across various strands.
“Anything that delays the timeline for integration is a completely regressive step. Kicking this can down the road would send a terrible signal to the thousands of girls in particular who pull on jerseys every weekend and to the volunteers who keep clubs running in every parish in the country. Equality in sport cannot be treated as optional or something that can wait. That’s why I would like the GAA to explain what they mean by the need for ‘greater focus on equity rather than equality’ in their letter to the former chairperson.
“As Chair of the Oireachtas Sports Committee, I will be urgently inviting in the various organisations and senior members of the integration committee to discuss this development. These organisations have committed publicly to the integration of the Gaelic games by 2027. Players, volunteers and supporters deserve certainty and progress, not delay.”