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John Delaney to appear before Oireachtas committee on Wednesday

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has confirmed its former CEO John Delaney will appear b...
Jack Quann
Jack Quann

16.35 8 Apr 2019


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John Delaney to appear before...

John Delaney to appear before Oireachtas committee on Wednesday

Jack Quann
Jack Quann

16.35 8 Apr 2019


Share this article


The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has confirmed its former CEO John Delaney will appear before the Oireachtas Sport Committee on Wednesday.

In a statement, the FAI said "all requested members of the FAI are included on the list" of attendees.

"The association notes comments made by Sport Ireland and the Oireachtas Committee and acknowledges their concerns.

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"Further, the association recognises and shares the desire for the matters to be addressed as soon as possible, with due regard to the different ongoing processes.

"The board acknowledges the misgivings raised by Sport Ireland and the Oireachtas Committee last week and is also cognisant of the concerns of the Football Family and all stakeholders."

The head of Sport Ireland, John Treacy, last week refused to say if he had confidence in the board of the FAI.

It came after it emerged that Mr Delaney gave a €100,000 bridging loan to the FAI in 2017.

Sport Ireland said it was extremely disappointed that it still had not been given an explanation for the loan.

In a letter, the FAI said it would provide more details once a review of issues of concern was completed.

But Mr Treacy said that was not good enough: "We still await an explanation on the circumstances around the loan", he told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Sport.

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

Mr Delaney stepped down as FAI CEO last month, before immediately taking up a new position at the association as executive vice president.

The FAI said it is seeking to "fully address all concerns in a determined and transparent manner and many steps are being taken to do so and to establish the requisite detail for Sport Ireland and the Oireachtas Committee."

As well as the board establishing a sub-committee to lead the work, global auditing and consulting group Mazars has been commissioned to conduct an independent and in-depth external review.

The association has said its advisors are working with Mazars to finalise the terms of reference for the review so work can begin.

The board has also requested that this review be completed "as soon as possible."

FAI President Donal Conway said: "I regret that we were not in a position to assist Sport Ireland with answers to its questions before it attended the committee last Wednesday.

"The FAI is engaging with Sport Ireland and communicated at a meeting with Sport Ireland on Friday evening that no disrespect was intended by the lateness of the letter of the 2nd of April or its brief contents.

"I accept more information would have assisted Sport Ireland and the Committee and I regret that it could not be provided before their meeting."


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