Watch Oireachtas live: Burns hopes to have ‘specific motions’ on integration for Congress by 2027

Comyn says there have been concerns about resistance to women having a meaningful role in senior decision making, is that a myth?

Burns says it is regrettable that it is seen by some as a gender issue, he says some of the best females are working in the GAA and some of the best males are working in the other two organisations. He says women have genuine influence.

Cian Ó Lionáin, assistant secretary general with responsibility for sport says the department is satisfied that women have influence in the GAA.

He says there will be three congresses each for it to happen and if there are any doubts, then they have to go back and revise. He says a nightmare scenario would be if they were getting messages that one county wasn’t ready.

He says not to get caught up on timelines, but he says camogie are keen by 2028. He says he hopes by 2027 Congress, they would have motions going to the floor that are very specific where you can take an implementation committee to start working on what is agreed. He hopes they would lead out a very navigable path where everyone knows where they stand.

Alison Comyn from Fianna Fáil speaking, nominated from the Taoiseach.

She says that McAleese is not prone to hyperbole, and that she said the situation was “devastated” and “heartbroken”. She asks why did McAleese say that?

Burns says the last meeting before McAleese stepping down he thought was a positive meeting and they were surprised. He said there were differing perspectives when they spoke to people on the road. He says they were not ready to have a special congress on structures. He says camogie and LGFA were voting themselves into extinction and had to have structures in place for what they were going into. He says they are back on the wagon and they want it happen.

Chaired by TD Alan Kelly, who is explaining parliamentary privileges.

Here is Gordon Manning’s tee-up piece, who says the organisations will present a united front for the meeting.

[ GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association to present united front at Oireachtas hearing on integrationOpens in new window ]

The Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport will meet to examine the ongoing process to integrate the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association.

The meeting take place between 12.30 am and 2.30pm in Committee Room 1 of Leinster House.

It will examine where the process stands, understand the reasons for the revised timetable and hear how the organisations intend to address the outstanding issues. The Committee will also discuss the reasons behind Mary McAleese’s decision to step down as chair of the Steering Group.

The former president of Ireland launched a stinging criticism of the GAA’s leadership last month after taking the decision.

She charged the GAA’s management committee with being “less than impressive” and “lacking in vision”, adding that the decision to resign has left her “devastated”.