Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have found a way of getting the money to the women's team. Under the youth field sports programme, we announced today that we are getting that money out to the front line. We are working with our partners and the relevant stakeholders. Again, we are talking to UEFA and will meet its representatives. The key thing to resolve this is to get the proper personnel in place in the FAI. Without the independent directors in place, it will be very difficult to resolve and it will be difficult for the Government to do what it potentially could do into the future. At present, there is no public trust in the organisation. KOSI Corporation Limited has stated quite clearly that the organisation is not in a position to receive public moneys. As long as that continues, it will be difficult for the Government to assist.

We are doing what we can and trying to resolve as much we can where that is within our power. Personally speaking, my priorities are the players at every level, the volunteers throughout the country who, in some cases, have given decades of service to soccer in Ireland, the staff in the organisation and the hundreds of thousands of passionate Irish soccer supporters of the League of Ireland, the international team or any other team. I am a passionate supporter of soccer so I want to help and try to get this resolved, but it will be very difficult. Nobody should be under the illusion that this will be easy because it will not be. It will be a massive challenge for all of us to get this fixed.