Vinny Perth: FAI crisis is 'a national emergency'

Dundalk head coach Vinny Perth has called on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to step in to address the "national emergency" caused by the crisis in the FAI.

Recently revealed liabilities of €55 million have left the future of the association up in the air, putting the future growth of the game here at risk as well as several jobs.

While anxious to see leadership on the issue from the Government, PFAI Manager of the Year Perth hit out at other politicians including Minister Shane Ross for what he described as "political grandstanding" over the issue ahead of an expected General Election in the New Year.

"I'm just sick of the political grandstanding that is going on at the moment," he said.

"We get a tiny amount of money off the Government for the most participated sport in the whole country. What football does for Ireland in terms of the opportunities it gives people from grassroots all the way up is superb but then to hear some of the political grandstanding is concerning. You'd know there was an election coming up in six months' time.

"We've been left behind on funding for many years to the likes of the GAA and many other sports. We probably need a little bit more support now in that sense from Government.

"I think it's a national crisis and Leo Varadkar needs to get involved. It's very concerning at the moment that there is no leadership there.

"The government in one sense are having too much to say because for what they put in they don't deserve that level of input unless they want to really get involved. Leo Varadkar has to get involved in it because it's that serious of an issue."

In a worst-case scenario Irish clubs such as Perth's Dundalk could be banned from Europe for up to five years if the FAI were to go bust, but the title-winning boss is hopeful it won't come to that.

"That's why I'm saying it's a national emergency because football is so important to Irish culture. There are late-night leagues in this country and you see kids playing in them. The importance of football to the wider social aspects of Ireland is massive so we need to be careful not to lose that.

"People will say if the FAI fail the U12 players won't stop but who is going to organise these games and where are the referees going to come from? We can't allow that to happen.

"Remember our President (Micheal D Higgins) is a big, big fan of the game. We could do with him maybe speaking out and lending a hand. At least we know with him it's not about political grandstanding. It would be coming from the heart but I'm just not sure you can say the same about Shane Ross or many other politicians at the moment. And that's one thing that concerns me.

"I think it's time that Leo Varadkar steps up and realises how serious a problem it is."