Ireland would not have a team at the next Olympic Games in 2028 if the Dáil had accepted Opposition motions debated over the past two days, the Minister of State for Sport has claimed.Charlie McConalogue told Sinn Féin spokeswoman for sport Joanna Byrne it was the “logical workout” of what her party and the Social Democrats were proposing in their Private Members’ debates earlier this week.The Sinn Féin motion called on the Government to support a boycott of the Ireland-Israel Nations League game, scheduled for Dublin in September and in Israel the following month.The Social Democrats called for Israel’s exclusion from all international sporting fixtures.The Government insisted in its countermotions to both parties that the issue was a matter solely for the FAI.The two motions were defeated in the Dáil by 81 to 68 votes on Wednesday night. Independent TD Barry Heneghan, who usually supports the Government, voted with the Opposition.During Dáil questions on Thursday the Sinn Féin TD renewed her call for the Minister to explain why “it’s okay” for him and his senior colleague Patrick O’Donovan “to publicly state you won’t attend these fixtures” but expect the football team “to shoulder that burden”.McConalogue reiterated the Government’s view that it was a “well-established principle internationally that sporting organisations and federations internationally are responsible for the conduct of sport”.“It’s Uefa at a European level, and Fifa at the world level, who decide and make policy decisions in relation to whether or not teams and countries participate in competition.”[ Push to boycott Ireland-Israel games kicks off in the DáilOpens in new window ]The Minister told the TD the content of the Opposition motions “would ultimately mean Irish athletes would not participate in international sports competitions in which Israel is also participating. “For example, this would ultimately mean we would not be in a position to have any athletes participating in the next LA Olympics.”He said: “Obviously, we recognise the difficult position the FAI is in here with regard to the draw and having two games to participate in, but it has to work within the Uefa structures.” He added: “This is a matter for the FAI to decide, and the Government fully respects that. It is not appropriate for the Government to interfere here.” The Sinn Féin TD for Louth said the Minister “still can’t grasp the magnitude of what this means to the Irish football and community. They don’t want this match to proceed”. “They don’t want to normalise sportswashing, and Ireland playing Israel normalises a genocidal regime.”But the Minister insisted it would be “unprecedented” to follow through on the Opposition’s proposals, which meant “not participating in international sporting competitions, including not participating in the next Olympic Games as a country”.Fianna Fáil TD Pádraig O’Sullivan expressed concern about security and the level of engagement the FAI has had with An Garda Síochána and Dublin City Council if the match were to be played in Dublin. The Minister said the department has spoken with the FAI but is not involved in the operational details. The FAI has “ongoing engagement with the Garda” and with international football organisations. There are “reports” the FAI is considering whether the match will be played in Dublin.“I know the Garda has indicated to the FAI that it is willing to police the game but they continue to engage.”