FAI staff push to have two employees on new board

FAI staff are pushing to have two employees on the association’s new-look board.

Sports Minister Shane Ross is adamant directors at the top table following the AGM in July should include representatives of staff, ex-players, supporters’ groups, and the women’s game.

A sizeable chunk of the FAI’s 204 employees organised their own meeting on Monday at Abbotstown to discuss the situation.

Three staff — former Ireland U21 manager Harry McCue, assistant women’s team manager Tom O’Connor, and development officer Paul Keogh — led the summit.

They requested a mandate from their colleagues to meet with the governance committee chaired by Aidan Horan from the Institute of Public Administration.

Employees suffered pay-cuts of 15%, plus allowances, over the past decade.

Despite some of the cuts being reversed in recent years, development officers took an average hit of €50,000 during the austerity. Deepening their anger is the latest revelations of John Delaney’s financial package.

He received a €36,000 accommodation allowance on top of his €360,000 salary and was due to receive a loyalty bonus of €2m when his contract expired next year.

Delaney stepped aside after the revelations of a €100,000 loan he gave to the association in 2017 were revealed in the media. He also refused to answer questions on the matter from politicians at the Oireachtas committee for sport, transport and tourism on April 10. His stance was based on legal advice.