An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-04-22
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Chris Andrews (SF), Labour Panel

I am actually not sure what I was supposed to have said there. The Minister with responsibility for sport, while critical of a few idiots and threatening sports groups and clubs about playing, has no issue about playing genocidal Israel in an international match. Israel has killed over 70,000 or 80,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including over 20,000 children. How can a Government Minister stand over playing genocidal Israel when clearly the country is out of control? How can the Government on the one hand talk about suspending the trade pact with Israel, yet at the same time also welcome apartheid Israel over here to play an international football match with open arms?
The Government says it is going to pass the occupied territories Bill but at the same time it is willing to play genocidal, apartheid Israel. In what world does that make sense? The hypocrisy is beyond staggering. Is the Government going to security-screen the players and management? Is it going to allow the members of the team and management who were active in genocide enter the country? It is extraordinary and it is shameful. What is the FAI doing in considering to play a match against Israel? The CEO of the FAI does not live under a rock. He knows what Israel is doing, yet he is happy to play a team that is part of its sportswashing efforts. The FAI congress believes Israel should not be in UEFA but the CEO is ignoring Irish football and ignoring their own FAI congress.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-04-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:50+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-22