Minister of State for Sport Thomas Byrne has warned the FAI that they face a 50% cut in funding for projects next year if they do not implement promised governance reform.
The board of Sport Ireland is meeting today to consider a temporary suspension of funding for the association, after the General Assembly of the FAI last week voted against a proposed constitutional change to allow two additional female candidates to join the board.
Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the FAI, which led to the association's bailout in 2020, the FAI was to have 40% female representation on the board by the end of this year.
Delegates at last week's EGM were asked to vote on increasing the number of board members from 12 to 14 with a seven/seven split between football members and independents, however, the required 75% majority to pass the proposal was not reached. A counter proposal from the Leinster FA to have two additional female directors added to the board, one each from the amateur and professional football constituencies, was not put to the meeting.
"I note the vote taken by the FAI and understand there's still time for them to take the appropriate steps to ensure they’ve met the target," Byrne said, in response to a Seanad question from Senator Shane Cassells.
"I also remind people there is a requirement in the MoU of a 50-50 split of independent and football directors and that split is required regardless of the amount of directors on the board overall.
"If they don’t reach that target, there will be serious consequences. What will happen, unfortunately, is that when we announce equipment grants in the New Year, if the national governing body doesn’t have 40% gender balance, then there will only be 50% awarded in terms of the grant.
"Any decisions with regard to amending or extending the MoU or the provision of additional funding for 2024 and future years, similar to that provided under the current MoU, that cannot be progressed in the absence of confirmation from the FAI and verification by Sport Ireland that the above recommendations are implemented,"
Byrne said that a Sport Ireland report - which also identified payments above agreed limits to CEO Jonathan Hill - confirmed the FAI had so far implemented 155 of 163 agreed reforms.
Cassels had revealed that the FAI had pulled out of a planned appearance at the Oireachtas Committee for Sport to discuss their €863m infrastructure plan.
"Surprisingly, they have decided they’re not coming next week, they can’t, maybe we would have been discussing something else," said the Fianna Fáil senator.
"It’s important, given the amount of money that is being sought by this sports organisation, which does immense good work for so many people across the country, that if they are coming for half a billion in Government supports, that the checks and balances that we sought following the last controversy four years ago are put to bed and we do have confidence that taxpayer's money going into this sport can be properly used."
