I met officials of the Football Association of Ireland on 3 November 2004 arising from the recent developments within the FAI which resulted in the departure of the chief executive officer of the association. I have had no further meetings with the FAI since then.
At the meeting, I reiterated to the FAI officials in attendance that the Government looks to the association to become a dependable, effective and efficient organisation capable of accepting and discharging its responsibilities in regard to projects to which the Government has committed substantial support from public funds. These include the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road stadium, the development of a sports campus at Abbotstown, funding under the sports capital programme for soccer clubs at national, regional and local levels and the funding provided to the association by the Irish Sports Council.
I fully support the delivery of the reform agenda mapped out in the Genesis report and I have indicated to the FAI that the positions of chief executive and director of finance should be publicly advertised by the end of this year and that the terms of reference for both these posts be agreed beforehand by the joint Sports Council and the FAI group which oversees the implementation of the Genesis report. I welcome the confirmation by the FAI that it intends to advertise these positions by the end of the year.
No direct funding is made available by my Department to the FAI. Funding is provided, however, under my Department's sport capital programme to clubs affiliated to the FAI towards the development of soccer facilities, and this arrangement will continue.
The Irish Sports Council provides funding in respect of programme costs and I understand that already this year an amount of €1.5 million has been paid out in respect of the implementation of the technical development plan of the FAI. The Irish Sports Council has indicated that an amount of €300,000, which was set aside for the implementation of the Genesis recommendations, will not be paid, while the Irish Sports Council will decide at its meeting on 21 December next whether to pay an outstanding balance of €200,000 in respect of the technical development plan.
I look forward to working closely with the FAI in the continued development of the game of soccer, particularly in the many infrastructural projects which are being developed and which it is hoped will have a major positive impact on Irish soccer.