Abuse of referees, players to be discussed at Oireachtas committee

The level of abuse towards referees, officials, and players in sport will be discussed at an Oireachtas committee today.

The Vice President of the Irish Soccer Referees Society said the society has been in talks with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) since last year to find ways to impose greater sanctions against people who abuse referees.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Sean Slattery said he is hopeful that new regulations will be in place soon, which will include longer bans from games for those who carry out assaults and stronger sanctions for lesser threatening behaviours.

"The big thing about what hopefully is coming up is the general level of what would be called maybe lesser offences," he said.

"A lot of it is threatening behaviour towards referees, abuse of officials as they're walking off etc."

A general change in behaviour is needed, he said.

Last November, referees in the north Dublin children's league went on strike for two weeks, in protest at the abuse they received from the sidelines.