Union chiefs warn almost 60 FAI jobs at risk due to axed grants from Sport Ireland as third ODCE probe launched into the Association
Funding worth almost €1.5million earmarked for the under-fire Association has been suspended in recent weeks over major concerns about corporate governance
ALMOST 60 FAI jobs are at risk due to axed grants from Sport Ireland, union chiefs have warned — as the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement launches a third probe into the Association.
Funding worth almost €1.5million earmarked for the under-fire Association has been suspended in recent weeks over major concerns about corporate governance.
The FAI board are facing calls to quit over former CEO John Delaney’s controversial “bridging loan”, which he is yet to explain.
We can also reveal the embattled organisation is the subject of a third probe by the ODCE.
Grassroots representatives privately fear that dozens of vital roles will be lost if the Sport Ireland funding isn’t restored as a matter of urgency.
Siptu representative Denis Hynes told the Irish Sun: “I’ve been hearing from members who are absolutely terrified by what’s being going on.
“We’re talking about 57 members directly employed by the FAI who don’t know if their jobs are safe because of all this.
“They’ve been caught in the middle of something through no fault of their own, going home in the evenings not knowing what’s next to come. This needs to be resolved as a matter of urgency.”
Earlier in the week, Hynes wrote to the grants body seeking clarity on the decision to withdraw funding from the FAI.
Hynes said he represented dozens of development officers who earn between €35,000 and €37,000 a year who were terrified by recent events.
He said: “Our members are seeking assurances concerning how community level football will be developed and maintained throughout this extremely testing period.
“What we don’t want is workers, who train and mentor men, women, boys and girls, used as political footballs in the row between the FAI and Sport Ireland.”
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Meanwhile the Irish Sun understands the FAI is subject to a third ODCE probe over the state of its finances.
We have learned that the ODCE received the complaint in late January relating to two companies, one of which is the FAI.
And Ireland’s corporate watchdog has begun to look into it as part of a broader examination of the Association’s finances and governance sparked by two other complaints.