SPORTS MINISTER SHANE Ross has confirmed that the government will not be in a position to reinstate State funding to the FAI in the near future. 

Ross said, however, that both he and Minister of State Brendan Griffin have been working closely with Sports Ireland to create alternative mechanisms to deliver “much needed support for deserving sports clubs and teams around the country”. 

This comes after Ross yesterday confirmed that the independent report into the FAI has been referred to An Garda Síochána. 

The report was commissioned by Sport Ireland in May of this year and sought to assess the FAI’s expenditure of all Sport Ireland funding and its fitness to handle public funds.

Serious questions over finances at the FAI were raised in March of this year when the Sunday Times reported that former CEO John Delaney gave the organisation a loan of €100,000 in 2017.

The following month, Sport Ireland decided to suspend and withhold future funding to the FAI.

The Minister also confirmed this evening that football clubs continue to receive significant ongoing funding through the State Sports Capital Programme. 

“More immediately, in tandem with Sport Ireland, we are finalising a proposal to fund the women’s national team and players via a trusted independent third party,” Ross said. 

“This proposal, which was approved in principle by the board of Sport Ireland last month, will be concluded and agreed in the coming days.”