FAI will, after all, appear before Oireachtas sports committee

Minister for Sports Patrick O’Donovan led the government outcry on Tuesday, emphasising that non-attendance by a body in receipt of significant taxpayers’ funds was not an option.

The FAI had indicated on Friday that would not attend the meeting. Pic: Matt Browne/Sportsfile.

There’s been another twist in the FAI’s ongoing Oireachtas committee battle, with a delegation from the association seemingly now willing to attend Wednesday’s scheduled meeting in Kildare Street.

The embattled footballing body on Friday shifted from their initial indication of attendance by withdrawing from the hearing with five days’ notice after “doubting the committee’s intentions”.

Minister for Sports Patrick O’Donovan led the outcry on Tuesday, emphasising that non-attendance by a body in receipt of significant taxpayers’ funds was not an option. He went short of threatening suspension of funding, an instrument previously unleashed during standoffs.

Committee chairman Alan Kelly TD said he hoped the Minister’s stance would encourage the FAI to review their position by turning up to face questions on safeguarding and other governance matters.

Deputy Kelly revealed during RTÉ’s Drivetime radio show that he’d been contacted by FAI chairman Tony Keohane.

The representative for Tipperary North TD said the FAI were reconsidering their position and it's believed that has prompted another change of mind from within the FAI boardroom.

Not only did the Government financially bail the FAI out of a crisis in early 2020 but they doubled the core funding to €5.8m.

That annual payout was extended through the agreement of a second Memorandum of Understanding last year.

Furthermore, the association’s League of Ireland department has been lobbying the State for investment to develop a new club-led academy system to produce home-grown players in a post-Brexit era when talent cannot join UK clubs until they reach 18.

That €8m-per-annum plea has reached the stage of being independently audited by Belgian company DoublePass but this latest episode casts doubt on a positive outcome when the Budget is unveiled on October 7.

Despite the FAI confirming their participation in the sitting, at the second attempt, their position shifted after the committee invited three additional witnesses, including former Ireland women’s manager Eileen Gleeson.

Last week, FAI chief executive David Courell confirmed that Keohane, president Paul Cooke, HR Director Aoife Rafferty and himself would attend the showdown.

They had previously cited an ongoing Garda Siochana investigation for the deferral, and though that was again expressed, additional witnesses being called triggered their renewed resistance.

One of those was Gleeson, the former Ireland manager still employed by the association in a new role who has a live civil court case for equality lodged.

The former Ireland women’s team manager informed the committee that her desire to attend was scuppered by her employers, who issued a directive to remain consistent with their refusal to participate.

Four days of drama has ultimately led to the FAI being influenced by their paymasters to contort from their entrenched position on the eve of the summit, Wednesday’s lunchtime meeting will also discuss safeguarding procedures with representatives from Sport Ireland and officials from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.

Due to be questioned by the committee are Mr. Cian Ó Lionáin, assistant secretary for sport, culture, communications and sport department, along with their principal officer Mr. Ciarán Shanley. Dr. Úna May, chief executive of Sport Ireland, is to attend too.

Also planned is a private session with the office of parliamentary legal advisors as regards engagement, or lack thereof, by the FAI.