In its opening statement on Wednesday, the FAI will tell the Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Sport and Media that the association has "reformed significantly".
It's been another rocky month for the FAI.
The governing body had originally been due to address the committee a month ago to discuss its ambitious Facility Investment Vision and Strategy, which aims to overhaul the footballing infrastructure in the country.
The session was postponed because it clashed with the Republic of Ireland's friendly against New Zealand on 22 November, which proved to be Stephen Kenny's final game at the helm.
Discussions at the Oireachtas will now likely be dominated by non-football issues following a tumultuous six weeks.
In early November, Sport Ireland delayed the release of State funding to the FAI amid concerns about governance and reforms.
A Sport Ireland-commissioned audit identified that the FAI's Jonathan CEO Hill received payments - made to him in lieu of holidays not taken and expenses related to commuting from the UK - that were above an agreed limit set out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Government and the FAI, which led to the association's bailout in 2020.
Hill agreed to repay the sum; Sport Ireland later released the funding.
At the FAI's AGM last Saturday, former independent chairman Roy Barrett said that he made the decision that Hill should be paid in lieu of holidays.
Delegates at an EGM earlier in the day approved an extension of the board from 12 to 14 members in a vote which ensures the FAI met gender balance requirements set out by Government - another crucial reform to align with the terms of the MOU.
All of this will be up for discussion on Wednesday, with Hill expected to deliver the FAI's opening statement, which has been seen by RTÉ.
It reads: "Firstly, for the record, I would once again wish to apologise unreservedly for what has transpired in recent weeks.
"While we have made strong progress on governance reform, we recognise that those events have placed the spotlight on Irish football for all the wrong reasons and has evoked memories of the recent past which we know Irish football needs to move on from.
"I also regret that these events take the focus away from the phenomenal work being done across all levels of Irish football – from grassroots to our League of Ireland through to our international teams. I also apologise for the difficulty it has caused for our outstanding and hard-working staff as well as for Sport Ireland and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media.
"It has been an unnecessary and unhelpful distraction at a time when there so much good work being done across Irish football and more broadly across Irish sport."
In relation to concerns that the FAI has not learned lessons from the past in terms of cultural reforms, the statement adds: "We are trying to do the right things for Irish football, to set it up for success for current and future generations.
"While these recent events may result in people questioning whether the FAI has reformed itself, the reality and absolute truth of the matter is that we have. The organisation has reformed significantly over the past three years.
"Evidence of this is seen across a range of areas including significant growth in commercial and ticketing revenue, Women's National Team qualification for the World Cup and equal pay for the women’s team and a new digital platform for organising League of Ireland and grassroots football.
"The FAI have also made considerable progress in governance reforms by implementing recommendations set out in the MOU with 98% expected to be complete by end of 2023 [the end of the MOU].
"We welcome recent comments from both Sport Ireland and Minister Thomas Byrne acknowledging the significant progress made by the FAI on its governance reform agenda across the period of the MOU.
"However, governance reform of the FAI does not end once we have fully implemented all recommendations of the MOU. It is and will continue to be a core part of the association moving forward. We always want our organisation to be fully transparent and have a trusting relationship with Government, Sport Ireland, and all stakeholders."
