An Cathaoirleach: Apologies have been received from Deputy Máire Devine and Senator Nicole Ryan. It is my understanding that Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú will substitute for Deputy Devine for at least a month.

I am delighted to open the fifth and final public meeting of module 1 on family and community to address addiction, sports and well-being. I welcome our witnesses, from the Gaelic Players Association, GPA, Ms Jennifer Rogers, head of player development and well-being, Mr. Luke Loughlin, GPA member, Westmeath football player; from the Irish Homeless Street Leagues, Mr. Kevin Leavy, board member and Ms Frances Kavanagh, director; from Sport Ireland, Ms Mary Van Lieshout, director of participation, ethics, integrity and research and Mr. Phelim Macken, manager with Limerick Sports Partnership; from the BRACE Community Response, Ballymun and the Boxing Clever programme, Mr. Karl O'Brien, co-ordinator access and intervention BRACE Community and response co-ordinator Boxing Clever Ballymun, and Ms Triona Byrne, recovery community development officer, co-ordinator of the Boxing Clever Recovery Academy. Our agenda items today are to engage on the topic of addiction, sport and well-being...

On the engagement with the topic of addiction, sport and well-being I again welcome our witnesses and invite them to begin engagement. All the opening statements have been circulated among members and will be published on the Oireachtas website after this session. As agreed, we will limit each opening statement to five minutes to allow plenty of time for questions and answers. I am conscious that a wide range of issues will be the subject of the discussion today. If necessary, further and more detailed information on certain issues can be sent to the clerk to the committee for circulation to members. I should add that members will be in and out of the committee room. There are many places they have to be.

I invite Ms Jennifer Rogers to give her opening statement on behalf of the Gaelic Players Association. She is very welcome...

[Click here for the full debate on the Oireachtas website]

[Note. Opening statement PDFs for all sessions can be found on the Joint Committee on Drugs Use webpage]