Fear for FAI staff as 'Business Transformational Plan' looms

It is also understood the Cork-based Education Training Board (ETB) course for budding footballers is being discontinued.

 A general view of the Football Association of Ireland Offices at the FAI National Training Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin. Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile

FAI staff fear for redundancies after the organisation confirmed a 'Business Transformational Plan' will be presented to the board for approval next month.

Speculation over a reduction in headcount has been ongoing as the association’s debt levels have plateaued at €40m in recent years.

Pointedly, chief executive David Courell pivoted from a position of ruling out layoffs last year to leaving open the possibility when he last addressed the media in April.

Latest available figures from annual accounts quantify staff levels at 251, amounting to payroll costs of €13.6m.

Losing their playoff against Wales for this year’s Women’s Euros in Switzerland denied the FAI a minimum of €2m in prize-money while a successful path through a qualification beginning in September for next year’s men’s World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico would expect to gross at least €10m.

Heimir Hallgrímsson’s Ireland are third seeds behind Portugal and Hungary in a group where runners-up secures a route to the finals through the playoffs.

The FAI’s staff engagement committee, comprised of employee representatives, were informed of the upcoming transformational plan this week at headquarters.

Details were sketchy but the anticipation is a restructuring process ultimately leading to a lower workforce. It remains to be seen if there’s a voluntary aspect to job losses.

“Our senior leadership team have been working for quite some time now looking at how, as an organisation, we're structured to be as effective as we can be,” said Courell three months ago.

“We have big ambitions for Irish football and want to make sure we're aligned to deliver on those.

“We were entering into a review of how we would structure our organisation to deliver our pathways plan.

“We're also nearing a construct of what 2026 to 2029 strategy will look like, taking the opportunity to look at how we're structured as an organisation to ensure we're set up in the best way to deliver locally, regionally, nationally - making sure that we're as efficient as we can be as a not-for-profit organisation.”

Connected but separate to the FAI, it’s understood the Cork-based Education Training Board (ETB) course for budding footballers is being discontinued.

The course currently employs four coordinators - ex-Cork City players Stuart Ashton, Dave Hill, Ian Turner and Mark McNulty.

It is not yet clear whether the quartet will be redeployed.