The former chief executive of the FAI has said he stepped into a new role with the association because his workload was too heavy.

John Delaney stepped down as FAI CEO last month before immediately taking up a new position at the association as Executive Vice President.

The move followed intense speculation over a €100,000 loan he gave the organisation out of his own pocket in April 2017.

Separately, it was reported the FAI had been paying €3,000 a month to rent a house for Delaney in Wicklow – in addition to his CEO salary of €360,000.

Work-load

In an interview with Tipp FM last night, Mr Delaney said he stepped down from his position because the work-load was too much for one person.

He said his time as CEO was divided between governing the FAI, sitting on the UEFA board and attending grass-roots football matches.

“That is just a snapshot of projects that I am now turning my attention to and it really was impossible to do the three jobs that I have just laid out to you for one person,” he said.

“That is why the association commissioned an independent report – just to split the duties.”

He said the FAI is currently working on a potential World Cup bid involving England, Scotland and Ireland as well as an all-Ireland bid to bring the U-21 European Championships to these shores.

“I am giving you a flavour of what is ahead for me and I know there is a lot that we can deliver over the next number of years internationally for the good of Irish football from a funding perspective and from hosting major tournaments,” he said.

Bridging loan

This afternoon, Sport Ireland will tell the Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport that the FAI has yet to “sufficiently explain” the circumstances behind the loan.

The organisation will say that it was never made aware of the loan or of any “material deterioration in the FAI’s financial position” – as it should have been under its terms and conditions for grant approval.

It will say it has twice written to the FAI seeking further information on the loan; however, the FAI has only responded once.

Sport Ireland CEO John Treacy will say: “The contents of the FAI letter did not sufficiently explain the circumstances of this loan and its repayment, nor fully address the matter of compliance with Sport Ireland’s Terms and Conditions of Grant Approval.”

Sport Ireland approved around €2.9m in grant funding for the FAI in 2017.

Delaney

Mr Delaney has said he wrote the check to aid the FAI through a “very short-term cash flow issue” and noted that it was “repaid in full” in June 2017.

He is expected to join an FAI delegation appearing before the Oireachtas committee next week.