FAI chief executive John Delaney has said there was nothing untoward about FIFA having an Irish company in Dublin.
It was reported this morning that FIFA Ireland Limited had revenues of up to €113 million during its years of business.
Football Association of Ireland officials served as directors in the company, but it "was wholly owned by FIFA", according to an FAI statement.
Delaney told RTÉ this afternoon that he had concerns at the time that FAI officials were on the board of directors of the company, but said he was reassured that there was no need for worry on the matter.
"There is nothing in that from the FAI’s perspective. What I will say to you is this was a company that was formed in 2001. Our president and general secretary at the time were approached by FIFA. They accepted the invitation to be on the board.
"They then brought it to our board in October of that year. People like myself and Michael Cody expressed our concerns and we looked that the FAI would be indemnified against potential problems that might have occurred."
Delaney, asked about why he had reservations about the FAI officials becoming directors, said that he simply felt it was unnecessary.
"I just think the FAI is there to run football. I didn’t think that we should be having directors in any other company that would be outside of our remit. But the two gentleman had accepted the invitation at that stage and we looked for safe guards to be put in place.
"We did outline our concerns. It is in our minutes actually of the meetings of October 2001 that both Michael Cody and myself would have expressed those concerns at the time.
FIFA's Irish business was in existence for seven years. It underwent voluntary liquidation in 2008.
The company received millions of euro in revenue from the sale of licensing rights in relation to the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
"To be honest with you, I don’t know the ins and out of it," said Delaney. "But when it was brought to my attention, I would have expressed my concerns. If it’s going to be looked into, let it be looked into.
"From the FAI’s point of view, I have no concerns it affects us in any way. I believe it was set up for a tax status, I believe it was set up for intellectual property rights that were being sold for the World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
"But if matters have to be looked into, that is a matter for other people and not for me. I would welcome it being looked into because I want to be sure that any company in Ireland, not just this company, any company in Ireland that FIFA would have been involved in, that it operated correctly and to proper governance."
