Time to tackle sexism in Irish sport, says Labour

Labour TD Robert O’Donoghue has said the Eileen Gleeson saga should be the impetus to tackle sexism within Irish sport.

This week, the former Irish women’s football boss discussed the disparity in pay between her and men’s manager Heimir Hallgrímsson and discussed what she called the discrimination within Irish football.

Gleeson alleged that she was treated poorly by the FAI, and has launched legal action against the organisation on the grounds of discrimination

O’Donoghue, Labour’s sports spokesperson, said, “the news of Eileen Gleeson’s treatment by the FAI does not come as a surprise for anyone paying attention. We’re a few years on from the success of the equal pay deal for women’s international soccer, but this is another spotlight on the consistently dismissive attitude towards women in sport in Ireland.”

“Allegations of coercion, bullying, harassment, and direct pay and resource discrimination highlight a rot at the culture of Irish sports when it comes to how men and women are treated unequally. I am calling on Minister O’Donovan, alongside elected representatives across the political spectrum and voices from the sports community to support Eileen Gleeson in her fight for fair and equal treatment, and to commend her for highlighting this issue.”

The Dublin Fingal West TD noted the precedent set by Kerry FC manager and Gleeson’s former colleague, Colin Healy, standing up alongside his colleague and speaking out at the injustice faced by Eileen and women in sport in general.

“We have seen women in Irish sport being catapulted to the spotlight in recent years with our own soccer team making it to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and indeed our rugby team currently playing in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. But all this growth and success has been despite and in the face of unequal and unfair treatment.

“Eileen Gleeson’s fight is not just a fight for all women’s sport in Ireland but also part of the continuing struggle of equal pay and treatment for equal work for all women. We stand with Eileen Gleeson and all women in sport,” O’Donoghue said.