Sports Minister reveals scale of FAI funding freeze
Irish Mirror 21/11/2023 19:04
Sports Minister Thomas Byrne has said that a freeze has been put on €6.8m in funding to the FAI.
That’s the amount outstanding from Sport Ireland in the wake of the controversy over additional payments to FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill.
Minister Byrne, speaking on Tuesday in the Seanad about FAI funding, also said that he hoped the money would be handed over “as soon as possible.”
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“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 Byrne.“I have spoken about this before, 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 percent [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.”
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