The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has said former CEO John Delaney will take a "substantial reduction in salary" in his new role as executive vice-president.

Mr Delaney stepped aside as chief executive on Saturday, with chief operating officer Rea Walshe moving to the role of interim CEO with immediate effect.

Ms Walshe was appointed as chief operating officer last month.

She joined the FAI in 2014 from Liberty Insurance, and graduated with distinction from the inaugural UEFA Football Law Programme.

The FAI is to begin a process of looking for a new chief executive on Monday morning.

Interim Football Association of Ireland CEO, Rea Walshe | Image: FAI

Interviews are expected to take place in early May, with a view to having an appointment made by July.

The association has since confirmed Mr Delaney will be part of an FAI delegation to attend a meeting with the Oireachtas Sports Committee next month.

In a statement, the FAI added: "The association can also state that the newly-appointed executive vice-president of the association has taken a substantial reduction in salary after taking up the new role."

An FAI spokesman said: "As was stated last week, John Delaney will be part of the delegation that meets with the Oireachtas Committee on Sport next month.

"That meeting is currently scheduled for April 10th and the FAI has written to the committee offering to bring the meeting forward to April 3rd."

The changes came after the FAI board carried out a review of its senior management structure.

The report was commissioned in February and carried out by sports governance expert Jonathan Hall Associates.

They were asked to review senior management structures and the role of CEO, as the association plans for the launch of a new strategic report.

The Jonathan Hall report recommended that the FAI consider creating a new role of executive vice-president in order to put itself in the best position possible for the strategic period ahead.

Mr Delaney had come under pressure to explain a 'bridging loan' he facilitated to the FAI in 2017 after a report in The Sunday Times.

ODCE complaint

Fine Gael TD Noel Rock, who is also a member of the Oireachtas Sports Committee, has lodged a complaint with the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) over account keeping at the association.

He told On The Record with Gavan Reilly: "Based on what I've seen, the documents that I'm investigating in line with the Oireachtas committee hearing - where John Delaney and the FAI are still due to attend on April 3rd - it's very clear to me and very apparent to me that there are issues around record keeping, there are issues around transparency, there are issues around the loan from John Delaney to the FAI.

"And accordingly based on what I've seen, and I can't disclose all of it obviously, I've made a complaint to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement.

"I hope they will investigate it thoroughly and I hope they will investigate it absolutely completely".

Deputy Rock said, in his personal opinion, the removal of Mr Delaney as FAI CEO is "overdue - based on what I can see, based on what I know".

"I called for him to step aside on Thursday and I think this news is long overdue".