The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has said it will mount "a strong legal defence" against allegations of discrimination made by former Republic of Ireland Women's head coach Eileen Gleeson.
A newspaper report from the Sunday Independent based on court documents showed that Ms Gleeson has accused the FAI of treating her and her team unfairly because of their gender.
The report said that Ms Gleeson, who was working as the FAI's head of women and girls' football when she was asked to take up the reins, claims she was left with little choice but to take on the role and was discriminated against in terms of pay compared to male counterparts, and in the way her exit was decided.
However, the association has denied the claims and reiterated its determination to tackle discrimination of any kind within the game.
The FAI said in a statement that it "treats all matters of alleged discrimination within Irish football with the utmost seriousness".
"Due to ongoing legal proceedings, the Association cannot comment on any allegations, but refutes claims made in a reported case and are currently preparing a strong legal defence as part of the court proceedings," it said.
It added: "With the development of women and girls' football over recent years, the association has made significant investment into overall standards that has led to progress both on and off the pitch.
"The association is committed to making continued improvements to help strengthen and grow the game, across all levels."
The newspaper report detailed a series of allegations levelled at the FAI in filings to the court relating to Ms Gleeson's tenure as manager of the women's national team, which began when she was asked to replace Vera Pauw.
Ms Pauw lost her job in August 2023 despite qualifying for the World Cup finals, on an interim basis.
Ms Gleeson was made permanent in the December of the same year, but her contract was not renewed after Ireland lost to Wales in a Euro 2025 play-off.
Her legal team will also allege that while the women's team benefited from an equal pay agreement, they were not afforded the same travel, security, medical and performance support arrangements as the men.
Accreditation: PA
