SPORTS MINISTER THOMAS Byrne today revealed that Sport Ireland have withheld €6.8 million in State funding to the FAI due to issues relating to the remuneration of CEO Jonathan Hill.
State funding to the football body was frozen this year when it emerged the FAI may be in breach of a term of its bailout agreement [Memorandum of Understanding] which mandates the CEO’s remuneration must not exceed that of the secretary general of a government department.
Sport Ireland commissioned accounting firm KOSI to audit the FAI, and determine whether this rule has been “embedded” within the organisation, and have since returned their findings to the government.
Speaking in the Seanad this evening, Minister Byrne revealed for the first time the sum of money that has been withheld to the FAI, €6.8 million, which consists of the entirety of their funding for 2023 (€5.8 million) along with a bonus €500,000 for a women in sport programme – granted around the women’s World Cup – and another €500,000 of last year’s funding, which The 42 revealed was not drawn down in 2022 due to an administrative error.
“We want to get that money to the FAI as soon as possible. Sport Ireland paused that money, in order that the KOSI could conduct an audit to consider whether an MOU condition regarding CEO remuneration was embedded in the organisation in 2022″, said Minister Byrne.
“Last week I met members of Sport Ireland to discuss the FAI’s response to the KOSI audit and I want to acknowledge the FAI have signalled their intention to implement what is set out in the audit. And to be fair to the FAI, they have implemented almost everything in the Memorandum of Understanding. It’s been about 95% [compliance] and that is really important. We are just working through things in the department in terms of the FAI’s response, but it is certainly my intention to finalise this matter relatively soon, but myself and Minister [Catherine] Martin just have to consider all of the issues that have been brought before us by Sport Ireland and the FAI’s response.
“But I hope and I am expecting a positive outcome to this soon. It is important to remember the FAI is getting double the funding it would ordinarily get because of the MOU, and in addition, up to last year, we were essentially paying the rent or the payment that’s due on the Aviva. That is not continuing. We want to make sure the FAI can go on their own two feet. It’s quite likely there will be a continuation of the MOU past next year if the FAI wish and want it, we can certainly enter into discussion on that once this particular issue is resolved.”
Elsewhere, Fianna Fáil senator Shane Cassells was extremely critical of now-retired Shamrock Rovers goalkeeper Alan Mannus over his recent remarks made about the redevelopment of Casement Park.
The home of Antrim GAA is being redeveloped in order to co-host matches at Euro 2028, with Windsor Park too small to comply with Uefa regulations. Some Northern Ireland supporters have voiced their opposition to the move, however, as has DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson. Mannus, a former Northern Ireland international, told the Irish Independent earlier this month, “On the one hand, I want the country to have the Euros and everything that comes with that. I think if they do it at Casement – and it’s nothing to do with it being GAA, it could be rugby, hockey, or whatever, but once it’s done, it won’t be used again for football. I just feel the money will be spent on it, they’ll have the Euros for whatever time and then the GAA will get that from it and football will get nothing.”
Speaking in the Seanad, Cassells called Mannus’ comments “far from helpful” in what he deemed as an “uneducated intervention.”
“Quite frankly the noise that has been generated in the past few weeks in Northern Ireland regarding the use of Casement is dangerous to the very hosting of this championship and it’s depressing”, said Cassells.
“And it was depressing to see last night, the Kop End in Windsor Park festooned in banners saying ‘No to Casement, depressing on a night that was good for Irish football, something that is rare in both parts of these islands as Northern Ireland beat Denmark 2-0
“I want to praise the Irish Football Association CEO Patrick Nelson for his comments last Thursday when he said ‘this is a pivotal moment for football and society’ – he’s so right. Unfortunately in the North it’s never just about football, it is societal. Fair play to Patrick Nelson for saying it, because this €150m stadium is going to add to the fine facilities that are already in situ in Windsor Park and Ravenhill, both of which were funded substantially by the British government and, yes, it will be a GAA headquarters for Ulster football when the Euros are over and the GAA are entitled to that support in the North from the British government as were the IFA and the IRFU because they are an Association that is the largest on this island and whose members were subjected to horrendous intimidation during the Troubles, not just by paramilitary organisations but by the very British forces that were on the streets.
“Quite frankly, uneducated interventions over the last couple of weeks are not helpful. People who know better should button it. Interventions from people like the Shamrock Rovers goalkeeper and former Northern Ireland goalkeeper Alan Mannus, stating that the use of Casement as a venue is far from helpful, who himself when he spoke about this matter said ‘I haven’t done enough research to know if there is’ – well you know what you can do if you haven’t done the research. And the irony is that the ground that Alan plied his trade on out in Tallaght Stadium for many many years with distinction, was entirely funded by this state and indeed controversially the GAA was kept out. The word ‘no’ needs to be removed from the lexicon from the North. No more, ‘no to Casement’ let’s move on, let us build Casement enjoy the Euros on this island as a whole and, as I said, the investment in Casement by the British government and hopefully by this government is as much as deserved as Windsor and Ravenhill and I’d urge Gary McAllister and the Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs to embrace the announcement for Northern Ireland, see it as a good news story before it turns into a scenario where football only comes home to 50pc of this island.”
