FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill has defended the decision not to relocate to Ireland as agreed when he took on the role 18 months ago.
Hill joined the FAI in the first year of Covid-19 and the worsening situation at the time of his appointment in the winter of 2020 delayed his move to the country.
However, he has still not based himself in Ireland and revealed today that the situation will not change as he will travel between this island and his home in England.
Hill said: "As you know, there has been a pandemic. The first six months I was in the job, there was no travel between England and Ireland anyway.
"This week I'm here for five days in the office, it’s my intention to be based in the office and it’s my intention to be in Dublin to do that.
"Off the back of the pandemic, the way in which people work has changed over the last 18 months. I’ve had hundreds of Zoom calls and (Microsoft) Teams calls.
"For me, the most important thing is not where I do my work, it is how I do my work."
Speaking about the future, Hill said the impact of Covid-19 has made it possible to work between both countries as he tries to balance family life and his role of developing the game in Ireland.
He said: "At the moment it’s unlikely I will move my family here.
"I have young daughters and a son at a specific point of their education that has been affected by the pandemic, so I think it would be unfair on them to move at this point.
"I will be here and I will be very close to this office so I can be here on a very regular basis.
"I'm comfortable I’ve done everything I could have done in relation to my role to now.
"I think I have worked pretty hard in meeting and talking to people to understand that landscape.
"I am a good listener and I think I have a pretty good idea and the key issues facing Irish football.
"Let’s be clear: those issues are not fundamentally different to the issues facing other football associations."
Hill’s employers say they are "very comfortable" with the arrangement. A €30,000 relocation fund had been agreed for Hill when appointed by the FAI but this was never utilised and will be dropped in the landscape of Hill travelling back and forth.
FAI chairman Roy Barrett said: "There was relocation (funding) as Jonathan didn’t live in Ireland. I am very comfortable with the arrangements in place with Jonathan.
"We have a CEO who has been with us for 14 months, who is doing a very good job and delivering on all of the agendas we have set for him to date.
"He has my full support and the board’s full support. From my perspective it’s a bit of a non-issue, really."
