Danny Healy-Rae: Will Ireland's Team Be Punished for Israel Match?
Danny Healy-Rae speaks in the Dail about the controversy over Ireland's scheduled match with Israel. He condemns the actions of Israel but says he is chiefly worried about the repercussions for the Irish team and believes the decision should rest with players and the FAI.
Danny Healy-Rae urges colleagues to consider the practical impact on Ireland's players and management. He asks whether forfeiting one game could lead to points lost, expulsion from the competition, or longer-term damage to the squad’s prospects.
Healy-Rae argues the choice to play should be made by the team and by Irish soccer authorities, not imposed by the Government or parliament. He stresses that players cannot be blamed for a fixture arranged by UEFA and seeks direct confirmation from the team and management before any action.
While condemning the harm attributed to Israeli actions, Healy-Rae notes Ireland’s neutral status and questions whether government gestures would influence Israel. He acknowledges Sinn Féin’s anger and says he understands calls for a political message, but remains focused on protecting the team’s interests.
He suggests exploring neutral venues and asks for clarity on the tournament implications of a boycott. He calls for answers about points, forfeitures and competitive fallout before deciding the national response.
Concerns for the national team
Danny Healy-Rae urges colleagues to consider the practical impact on Ireland's players and management. He asks whether forfeiting one game could lead to points lost, expulsion from the competition, or longer-term damage to the squad’s prospects.
Who should decide
Healy-Rae argues the choice to play should be made by the team and by Irish soccer authorities, not imposed by the Government or parliament. He stresses that players cannot be blamed for a fixture arranged by UEFA and seeks direct confirmation from the team and management before any action.
Neutrality and international context
While condemning the harm attributed to Israeli actions, Healy-Rae notes Ireland’s neutral status and questions whether government gestures would influence Israel. He acknowledges Sinn Féin’s anger and says he understands calls for a political message, but remains focused on protecting the team’s interests.
Possible alternatives and consequences
He suggests exploring neutral venues and asks for clarity on the tournament implications of a boycott. He calls for answers about points, forfeitures and competitive fallout before deciding the national response.
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Transcript
Thank you very much, Cathaoirleach, and I want to thank Sinn Féin, and I want to thank Michael Collins, and look, every, each and every one of us know what Haram the Israelis have done, and all over the world, and are continuing to do it, and we do not, we do not support that. But I'm very concerned about stopping our Irish team of playing a game. Wondering if we'll have far-reaching repercussions for them. They have trained and come this far, and will it be just this game they'll forfeit? How many points will they lose? Will they be thrown out of the competition? I'm worried about all those things. I'd like to know what the team themselves think. It should, I think it should be up to them, and Irish soccer, FAI, to decide what is right for our team. And look, I don't blame Sinn Féin for being angry with our Social Democrats. I have another motion the same. No way in the world do I blame you, because we all know what Haram they're doing, and the loss of life, the loss of little children, and the murder that's gone on, and we're helpless, we can't do a bit about it, we don't have an arm, we're a neutral country. And I know it would be a good message to send to the Israeli government, but they take no notice of that. It's our Irish team I'm concerned about at this stage. Do they want to play? Do the managers, FAI? I think it should be up to them. Maybe the solution would be, I don't like to see the Israelis coming here playing again. Maybe it should be played in some neutral country. We have to understand, or I have to know more, about how this will implicate, or what implications it will have for the team. We remember the glory days of Jackie Charlton, we still appreciate while the players are not doing as good, or while the teams haven't been doing as good in recent times, they're our team, they're the Irish team, and we must stand by them. And whatever they want is what I want. And look, they can't be blamed for playing Israel. It was UEFA, whoever, who drew up the schedule and ordained that Israel were to play Ireland, and maybe it was UEFA who had the right to keep Israel out of the competition. But it's wrong to blame our players, our countrymen, for playing in this competition. Will it finish them for the whole of this tournament? Those are the questions we need to ask. Will it throw them back an awful lot? We need to know that. And I'm very concerned. And look, again I say, I don't blame Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion. It's on everyone's minds. Everyone is concerned about the reckless, reckless harm they've done. They are criminals, Nick Nahoo, and I'm not saying that, because they have terrible, terrible things done. But it's our Irish team who are deciding their fate here, and I don't think the government would be doing the right thing to stop them from playing, unless we get direct confirmation from the team themselves and the management themselves as to what they want, or what they want to do. Thank you.