A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER of members of the FAI Council have called on the Association to call an emergency meeting to discuss the rule changes agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the government to underpin an €18 million State bailout of the football body. 

James Kelly, a representative of the Leinster FA, wrote to fellow Council members earlier this week to ballot them on calling an emergency meeting to discuss the controversial terms of the State bailout of the FAI. 

The Council is the FAI’s 78-person representative body, and it elects the Association’s President and Vice-President along with approving any major rule changes.

In his letter to member, Kelly cited the proposed change to the board from a split of eight elected football directors and four independent directors to an even six/six split as a “ticking time bomb” that threatens the FAI’s “sovereignty.” 

In the event of a split vote under the six/six split, the independent chairperson has a casting vote. 

These terms must be passed be two-thirds of Council members at an EGM. 

Kelly wrote to fellow Council members yesterday to inform them he had received 47 votes in favour of the meeting, and two against. Under the FAI rulebook, 20 votes are needed to convene an emergency meeting. 

“The recent government announcement on the Covid-19 Pandemic has pushed out the section on where after the 20th July it would have been possible to hold meetings for up to 100 people”, Kelly wrote in his letter to Council members.

“Notwithstanding these difficult circumstances we are all operating under and the inevitable limitations, a significant number of Council members are of the view that this meeting is essential to allow Council have an input into the necessary reform pathway for the Football Association of Ireland.” 

Kelly also wrote to FAI president Gerry McAnaney, Independent Chair Roy Barrett and Chief Operating Officer Rea Walshe at 5pm yesterday evening to inform them of the vote among Council members, and requested that they inform the FAI board to call an emergency meeting. Under the rules, the meeting has to be called within 14 days.

The rules also allow the FAI board to call an EGM at seven days’ notice. 

A number of influential stakeholders have this week publicly warned that the terms of the MOU signed by Barrett and former sports minister Shane Ross must be met. 

In the Dáil on Thursday, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan called on the FAI to arrange an EGM this month to vote on the terms of the deal, and warned that “the conditions in the MoU must be implemented in full.” 

“The FAI Board and Council ultimately failed in their duty to the Association and its members, the grassroots club and the volunteers to hold the executive leadership to account”, continued Ryan. 

Ryan’s comments follow on foot of a letter written to the FAI by the new Minister for Sport Catherine Martin and her then-junior minister Dara Calleary asserting that the new government expected the FAI to stick by the agreed terms of the MOU. 

Sport Ireland, who are responsible for dispensing State funds to the FAI, yesterday released a statement emphasising all of this, warning the FAI that they would be unable to get access to their portion of the government’s €70 million Covid-19 relief fund if the vote does not pass FAI Council. 

Barrett, meanwhile, issued a strong rebuke to Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry on Thursday night over comments made in the Dáil. MacSharry questioned whether Barrett had the authority to sign the agreed terms of the MOU, to which Barrett responded by “respectfully suggesting” that Deputy MacSharry “checks his facts before he next decides to use Dáil privilege.”

In support of his statement, Barrett cited a Council vote on 16 March – passed 60 votes to nil with 19 non-responses – that gave the FAI Board the full authority to “pursue funding arrangements agreed with Government and the Association’s banking partner”, and said no funds were drawn down prior to this vote.