Sport

FAI have not responded to Oireachtas questions in relation to finances

FAI have not responded to Oireachtas questions in relation to finances

The FAI have not answered questions from the Oireachtas Sports Committee about governance plans in the wake of revelations over John Delaney and the sporting body' finances.

Committee chairman Fergus O'Dowd said this morning that it was still planned to hold a hearing with FAI and former chief executive John Delaney on April 10.

The meeting comes after it emerged the former chief gave the association a €100,000 bridging loan and that he also lived in a house rented by the FAI for €3,000 a month.

This was in addition to his €360,000 a year salary. Mr Delaney has now been given a new role as FAI executive vice-president.

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The sports committee met in private this morning and agreed a schedule of meetings to look into governance and oversight issues in the FAI.

Mr O'Dowd said afterwards that Sport Ireland would first appear before TDs and senators on April 3.

He said that sports body was responsible for governance, oversight and scrutiny and sporting governance in general.

The committee had also on March 22 requested from the FAI three issues, including clarity over when the association's governance review would be completed and that its recommendations would be brought to the committee, in advance of a hearing with the football body.

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It was also noted from statements that the FAI that the body were willing to meet Sports Minister Shane Ross and Sport Ireland to give more information about the bridging loan from the chief executive to the FAI in 2017.

There had been a request that full and comprehensive detail on this matter would be forwarded to the sports committee in advance of the scheduled meeting for April 10.

FAI have not responded to Oireachtas questions in relation to finances

But Mr O'Dowd said the committee had received no reply from the FAI to the correspondence.

“We would now ask that the FAI would now supply this information urgently and at the earliest possible opportunity to commit to our committee and well in advance of our proposed April 10 meeting.”

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