Ken O'Flynn: Keep Politics Out of Sport - Let UEFA Decide
Ken O'Flynn addressed the Dáil to argue against politicising sport following the 7 October 2023 attacks, urging that decisions on Israeli participation be left to UEFA. He condemns the Hamas attacks, expresses deep sorrow for civilian losses in Gaza and warns that athletes should not be asked to bear the burden of geopolitical conflict.
Summary: In this speech Ken O'Flynn speaks directly to the Minister for Sport and the chamber, condemning the horrific attacks carried out on 7 October 2023 while also expressing profound concern for the civilian toll in Gaza. He stresses that sports fields should not become arenas for settling political disputes and that UEFA, not the FAI or the Dáil, should decide on participation matters.
Mandela lesson: O'Flynn invokes Nelson Mandela's use of sport to unite a nation after apartheid, arguing that sport can be an instrument of reconciliation rather than division. He points to history to underline why Ireland should protect spaces where people of different backgrounds can meet peacefully in competition.
What he urges: He tells those who are angry to channel their energy into political and diplomatic institutions - the Department of Foreign Affairs, this chamber and governments that can pursue sanctions and accountability. He insists parliament should handle politics while athletes should be allowed to compete.
Implications: O'Flynn frames the debate as one about the purpose of sport, the limits of parliamentary intervention and the proper forum for political action. His intervention asks decision-makers to prioritise the rights and careers of young athletes and to keep sporting competition as a space for unity rather than a proxy for geopolitical battles.
Summary: In this speech Ken O'Flynn speaks directly to the Minister for Sport and the chamber, condemning the horrific attacks carried out on 7 October 2023 while also expressing profound concern for the civilian toll in Gaza. He stresses that sports fields should not become arenas for settling political disputes and that UEFA, not the FAI or the Dáil, should decide on participation matters.
Mandela lesson: O'Flynn invokes Nelson Mandela's use of sport to unite a nation after apartheid, arguing that sport can be an instrument of reconciliation rather than division. He points to history to underline why Ireland should protect spaces where people of different backgrounds can meet peacefully in competition.
What he urges: He tells those who are angry to channel their energy into political and diplomatic institutions - the Department of Foreign Affairs, this chamber and governments that can pursue sanctions and accountability. He insists parliament should handle politics while athletes should be allowed to compete.
Implications: O'Flynn frames the debate as one about the purpose of sport, the limits of parliamentary intervention and the proper forum for political action. His intervention asks decision-makers to prioritise the rights and careers of young athletes and to keep sporting competition as a space for unity rather than a proxy for geopolitical battles.
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Transcript
Ar maith agat, Chapter 10. Ar maith agat, Cathaoirleach, and I'd like to welcome the Minister for Sport into the house. Minister, sport has always occupied a unique place in humane society. It transcends politics, religion, ethnicity and nationality. It brings people together in a way that very few things can. That is why I approach this motion with extreme caution. Let me be absolutely clear to this house. I condemn the horrific attacks that were carried out by Hamas against Israel on the 7th of October 2023. The murder of innocent civilians and the taking of hostages, the acts of terror, none of that can ever be justified. Equally, I'm deeply troubled and disgusted by the devastating loss of civilian life in Gaza and the suffering of innocent men, women and children. It's absolutely heartbreaking to watch. There's one lesson that I've learnt in life, is that war brings tragedy and grief to everybody it touches. But I do not believe that young athletics and young athletes should be asked to carry the burden of resolving geopolitical conflicts that they did not create. A sporting career, as you know Minister, is short. And for many of these players, there will be few opportunities for them ever to represent their country in an international stage. We should be very careful, therefore, before we're asking them to sacrifice for that decision of which they have absolutely no control. The decision regarding Israeli participation in games against Ireland, or with Ireland, is of the UEFA competition and is a matter for UEFA. Not the FAI, and not the house, and not for this house to impose upon sports people. History teaches us one thing, and that's very important. When South Africa emerged from apartheid, Nelson Mandela understood the extraordinary power of sport, uniting a nation and not dividing it. He used the Rugby World Cup, not as a weapon, but as an instrument of reconciliation. He brought a country together where politics alone had failed to do so. And I believe that that lesson is relevant to this house today, as it was then. And I say to those who are angry that they have the right to be angry, and they should be angry. I say to them to bring their energy to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Bring your energy to this chamber. Bring your energy to the institutions and governments that have the power to act on that. Push for the sanctions. Push for accountability, locally, nationally and internationally. That is where the battle truly is, not on the sports ground. Parliament, and this parliament, exists to settle political disputes. Sports fields exist to bring people together. And at a time when this world feels increasingly divided, we need more spaces where people of different nationalities, of different beliefs, of different backgrounds, can still meet peacefully and respectfully in a mutual respect of one another in the name of competition. And I believe this house should be protecting those spaces and not dismantling them. Let politics be debated in the parliament. Let diplomacy be pursued by this government and the European governments. But let athletes compete. Let supporters come together. And let sports remain the most powerful focus that we have to unite the people. Thank you.