The Health Minister Simon Harris believes the Government cannot 'write a blank cheque' to bail out the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).

The governing body of Irish soccer issued a statement apologising for 'mistakes of the past' on Sunday.

FAI President Donal Conway said: "The clear message from our delegates today is that Irish football wants to move forward and we apologise to all our stakeholders for the mistakes of the past."

"I really regret the association is in this challenging position," he said.

It followed their AGM, which found they will make a loss of €4m in 2019, with the possibility of liquidation mentioned by a board member.

The FAI's executive lead Paul Cook had said that liquidation was a possibility, if its debts were to be sought immediately.

However, Sports Minister Shane Ross said it is not a viable option and is looking for a solution - which includes speeding up reform.

In a statement, Minister Ross said: "I wish to state that the Government does not see either liquidation or examinership as a viable option for the association or for Irish football.

"Over the Christmas period Minister Brendan Griffin and I have been moving with other stakeholders to find a solution to the crisis that includes an acceleration in the pace of reform, the future of Government funding, above all, a more secure outlook for FAI staff and certainty that grassroots football does not suffer."

But on Monday, Minister Harris said there is still a lack of confidence towards the organisation.

"We can't just write a blank cheque for an organisation that we can't have confidence in.

"There's a couple of key steps that need to be taken here if the FAI is serious about re-building the confidence of Irish citizens, Irish soccer fans and the Government in its organisation.

"One is the appointment of independent directors: there needs to be a clear-out of everyone that was there, and a fresh start".