Minister for Sport Patrick O'Donovan has said he will not rule out pushing for legislation to stamp out the presence of flares at League of Ireland matches after the scenes at Oriel Park before Friday night's game between Dundalk and Drogheda United.
A 12-year-old supporter was left "shook" having been struck by a flare thrown by Drogheda fans, one part of a series of incidents that marred the encounter, which ended 1-1.
It led to both clubs issuing a joint statement of condemnation on Sunday, with a meeting between the rivals planned for Tuesday.
There was trouble before the game with fans clashing outside Clarke train station, while after the match, gardaí arrested a man in his 20s after responding to a report of a public order incident on Carrickmacross Road.
Inside the stadium, several flares were thrown by the Drogheda fans onto the newly relaid artificial surface, causing multiple burn marks and significant damage to the pitch.
Minister O'Donovan, who attended the game, told the Today with David McCullagh programme on RTÉ Radio 1 that he has asked the department to pause all astroturf investments into League of Ireland clubs until he gets a "sufficient response" from the FAI and League of Ireland to protect innocent patrons and the government’s investment.
He described what happened as "reckless endangerment" as well as criminal damage, and added that it was not the first time and he doubted it would be the last time.
Minister O'Donovan said he has sought a meeting with Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan, and had set up another meeting with the FAI and League of Ireland for this week, stressing that he wanted to see proposals on the issue.
"If it's a thing that the FAI come back to me and the League of Ireland come back to me and say that there's nothing that can be done about this, well, we'll have to look at legislation," said Minister O'Donovan.
"They had this scenario in England a number of years ago where they had to separate football hooligans from each other to protect ordinary, decent patrons who just want to go and see a match.
"People didn't give a damn what they did.
"Condoning it by saying it's part and parcel (of football) is problem number one.
"Taking an incendiary device into a stadium is not part and parcel. That's reckless endangerment. And if we have to make it a criminal offence, we'll do that.
"Taking a flare into a match where you know that you could set fire to somebody's hair, set fire to their clothing, or, in this case, cause damage to a child's face - that's not part and parcel of anything. That's just downright hooliganism."
The minister said that if it weren't for the fire brigade, the pitch at Oriel Park would have gone up in flames completely.
"Everybody was disgusted. One thing is for certain anyway, I won't be paying for the damage, that’s guaranteed.
"What I'd like to see is the clubs and the league bring forward lifetime bans and failing that, I also want to see criminal prosecutions against those who criminally damaged the investment that the government made in Oriel Park.
"They have to be brought before the courts, and they have to be held to account for the damage that they've done to the town of Dundalk and to the people in the ordinary fans of Dundalk who just wanted to go to match and see it."
In response to Minister O'Donovan comments, the League of Ireland issued a statement to RTÉ saying they are awaiting more details ahead of punishments being handed out.
"The League of Ireland strongly condemns the actions of a minority of supporters at last weekend's SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division fixture between Dundalk FC and Drogheda United FC at Oriel Park.
"We are currently reviewing the Match Delegate report from the fixture and all available evidence. As part of this review, an investigation is underway into incidents that occurred at the fixture in collaboration with both Clubs, An Garda Síochána and all stakeholders. Further information will be supplied once this process has been completed.
"The League of Ireland welcomes recent Government investment in facility development and will continue to work closely with the Department of Sport and Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan on continued facility improvement in the League."
'We have a no pyro policy'
Dundalk FC CEO Joe McGuinness has said that the club would be reviewing what security measures they employ for games at Oriel Park.
Speaking to RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, McGuinness provided an update on the child who suffered burns to his face after he was struck by one of the flares.
"We haven't heard anything directly," he said of how the child is recovering.
"We have heard that the chap was quite shook and as each flare went off, (he) was shaking, etc, so he was quite shook.
"It happens on a regular basis and we always condemn it," McGuinness added of flares appearing at Oriel Park.
"We have a no pyro policy and the FAI have the same as well. But the incident with the young chap just confirms the danger that can happen from these incidents and that wee chap was there supporting his own team."
The flares thrown at the start of the game caused damage to Dundalk’s new 3G surface – unveiled in a pre-match ceremony - with assessment work on how much repair work will cost to continue today.
McGuinness said it will be "significant" and elaborated on the damage the pitch suffered.
"We have suffered, we think, probably about 51 scorch marks on the pitch of various depths, so it's quite significant what has been done to the pitch."
He also said that the club would be considering all options to deal with such incidents moving forward with Dundalk and Drogheda officials set to meet on Tuesday.
"The feeling is a combination of frustration and also being gutted as well.
"We had a huge amount of volunteer effort to get the ground ready for the season and it was the volunteers that I felt particularly sorry for it. Obviously, the young chap first, but the volunteers in particular, they put great effort into it.
"But we were going to have to review what mitigations are put in place, whether they're physical mitigations or whether they're security mitigations, because we have that liability of a 3G pitch that needs to be protected.
"Rivalry is part of what makes fixtures between Dundalk FC and Drogheda United FC so special," the joint statement from the clubs read.
"But it must always remain passionate, respectful and safe. There is no justification for actions that put lives at risk or damage facilities used by young people and the wider community.
"Both clubs will fully cooperate with An Garda Síochána in relation to any investigation and will engage constructively with the FAI disciplinary process. Dundalk FC is currently assessing the full extent of the damage caused, and appropriate steps will be taken in response.
"Both clubs call on their supporters to stand together in rejecting this behaviour and to ensure that future fixtures are remembered for the football on the pitch, not incidents off it."
Public order issues at Dundalk rail station
Iarnród Éireann has said that there were also public order issues at Dundalk's Clarke Station, with flares being set off in the car park area between rival groups of supporters.
There were further instances of flares being set off within the station after the match, which caused some scorching to timber floors and there was also damage to some heritage sign displays from vandalism.
Irish Rail said it liaised with gardaí in advance of the fixture, and had additional staffing at the station.
It is reviewing events with gardaí and will provide CCTV footage "to aid in any prosecutions".
Additional reporting: Laura Hogan
