Mr. Jonathan Hill:

Good morning. On behalf of the FAI, I thank the committee for the invitation to address the committee today. As the members will know, the FAI is responsible for Ireland's biggest participation sport, with more than 450,000 people involved in the game. At the FAI, we greatly appreciate the funding we receive from the State and work to ensure that public money is always used for its intended purpose and in the most efficient way possible. We have robust auditing measures in place to ensure full accountability for how these funds are used. We believe Irish football is in a strong place and we have made significant strides in many areas in recent years. Much of this aligns with our strategic plan from 2022 to 2025, which is being overseen and delivered by a highly capable team.

We have come a long way in recent years to put the FAI on a more stable and sustainable footing. We have reduced our debt from €63.5 million to less than €43 million, which is being driven by the planned and systemic approach the FAI has adopted to reduce and restructure those debts. Last year, the FAI exceeded its revenue targets, with our three revenue pillars all performing well. Final revenues were in excess of €58 million for 2023, against our strategic target of €50 million.

The FAI, along with many other sporting bodies in Ireland, was significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Sport Ireland Covid-19 relief fund was vital in ensuring the association was successfully able to navigate this challenging period. The use of this funding has been the subject of a thorough audit, the results of which were positive. Details of this audit have been shared with the committee and we will be happy to address any questions that members may have in this regard.