Pádraig Ó Céidigh (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I believe the chairman's and the CEO's team will do a very good job in doing soccer in Ireland a great favour. Everybody here is confident in that respect.

To follow on from Deputy Coppinger's point, I am looking at Mr. Delaney's statement on 10 April, in which he said an internal finance committee meeting had been held on Tuesday, 25 April 2017 and that the organisation had been strapped for cash. I am paraphrasing somewhat, but it did not have enough money. The following day Mr. Delaney was in Geneva when he received a call to state the organisation needed €100,000 from him to keep going. This is an organisation that had a turnover of €50 million, as mentioned in the 2017 accounts. We do not yet have the accounts for 2018. Mr. Delaney wrote a cheque for €100,000. The board was not informed until after Mr. Tighe - fair play to him - had contacted the FAI about the matter. That is what they meant the last day. What would have happened if Mr. Delaney did not have the money? What would have happened if he did not have €100,000 to write a cheque? The FAI would have been insolvent and gone. As per agreement, Sport Ireland was not told about the situation. Its hands were tied behind its back. It was incredible. We are talking about an organisation with a turnover of €50 million and it is a case of "give us 100 grand. Yes, no bother, it is going to keep you going." There is no need to go into the related company law issues, but we know that they were substantial.

Sport Ireland made the point clearly the week before last that it was not a regulator. I do not think it should be. That is not its role. UEFA and FIFA would have a significant issue with it because they regulate the sport of soccer worldwide and it could lead to a serious conflict. Sport Ireland has a narrow remit within which it operates, but it can operate and I believe there is the commitment to make it happen. It is really important to reflect on what it has learned from this. What did it do right? What could it have done better? I am saying this to be positive as we cannot dwell on the past. We must learn from it. I am really concerned that there is a vacuum. If it is okay, I suggest we invite back Mr. Treacy and Mr. Mulvey in a couple of months to tell us what has happened in the meantime and about what Sport Ireland is doing to fill the vacuum to help the sport of soccer in Ireland to be world class again.