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Department of Sport to meet IRFU over FAI's Aviva Stadium stake

Officials from the Department of Sport will meet the IRFU later to discuss the Football Associati...
Jack Quann
Jack Quann

07.02 19 Dec 2019


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Department of Sport to meet IR...

Department of Sport to meet IRFU over FAI's Aviva Stadium stake

Jack Quann
Jack Quann

07.02 19 Dec 2019


Share this article


Officials from the Department of Sport will meet the IRFU later to discuss the Football Association of Ireland's stake in the Aviva Stadium.

It is the latest development in a bid tackle the huge debt facing the football association.

It has been suggested that the IRFU could buy the other half of the stadium that they co-own with the FAI.

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It is after football's governing body announced last week that €29m of its overall debt was down to the stadium.

At an Oireachtas Sport Committee meeting on Wednesday, Sports Minister Shane Ross confirmed the FAI sought an €18m State bailout at crisis talks on Monday.

In response, the FAI accused Minister Ross of jeopardising the re-financing of the association by breaching the confidentiality of the meeting.

In a statement on Wednesday, it claimed: "The FAI board had welcomed the opportunity to meet with Government on Monday night when confidential talks took place regarding the financial future of the association and efforts to safeguard jobs at the FAI and the future of football in Ireland.

"That confidentiality was broken in the Oireachtas today and as a consequence, this has made the efforts to secure the financial future of the FAI all the more difficult."

FAI executive lead Paul Cooke said: "A number of points were raised today, some of which we addressed in confidence at Monday night's meeting in Leinster House when we presented Government with a credible business plan produced in partnership with Grant Thornton.

"We outlined the current serious financial situation at the association and how Government involvement could help secure a refinancing package.

"The board, management and staff at the FAI are working hard to avoid an insolvency process.

"We know better than anyone the consequences that would have on our international teams, the League of Ireland and the hundreds of thousands who play football up and down the country every weekend. The Board wants to do what is best for all those stakeholders and for our staff.

"We made it clear to Government on Monday that the board is frustrated at the delay in the appointment of an independent chairperson and three independent directors.

"Like the Government, the association wants to see these appointments made immediately."


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Aviva Stadium Aviva Stadium Stake Department Of Sport FAI Football Association Of Ireland Paul Cooke Shane Ross

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