THE TERMINATION PACKAGE made to John Delaney must be fully disclosed by the FAI, chairman of the Oireachtas Sports Committee told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
Delaney’s resignation as executive vice-president from the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) was announced in a statement late on Saturday night.
Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport Fergus O’Dowd said the figure of any payout to Delaney must be disclosed by the FAI.
“I’m very concerned about it and I feel what we want, what the whole country wants and the fans, is the money back to the FAI, to the young people,” said O’Dowd.
“We don’t know the deal, it’s secret, it’s hidden.”
The figure of Delaney’s termination package has not been disclosed, but several media outlets have reported figures of between €350,000 and €500,000.
Barrister and former chief executive of the FAI Fran Rooney said the announcement “smacks of the old FAI” in its lack of transparency.
“I would be looking for full disclosure of not just the termination package, but of all payments that have been made to John Delaney over the last 14 years,” Rooney told Morning Ireland.
“I don’t think John Delaney or the FAI can hide behind employee confidentiality because of the extent of the issues that are involved here.”
Minister for Sport Shane Ross told RTÉ News yesterday that the FAI “should release those figures” after the controversy surrounding Delaney’s role in the organisation.
A forensic report into the FAI will be published on 7 October. Delaney resigned as chief executive of the organisation in March after controversy arose over a €100,000 bridging loan he provided to the organisation in 2017.
He took up a new role as executive vice-president, which he resigned from on Saturday night.
“We don’t know the settlement, I would be concerned with the way it was announced. We were waiting for months for the forensic audit report,” said O’Dowd.
“We will hold the FAI as accountable as we possibly can.”
Sinn Féin sports spokesperson Jonathan O’Brien has written to the Oireachtas committee chaired by O’Dowd to seek the FAI’s appearance this week at committee meetings to answer questions about Delaney’s payout.
“Transparency must be put in place and state funding should be kept suspended until the FAI meets the most basic standards of governance and openness about the public money they receive,” said O’Brien in a statement.
- With reporting by Sean Murray
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