Updated 14:43
Football Association of Ireland (FAI) chief executive John Delaney has been elected to the Uefa Executive Committee at the Uefa Congress in Helsinki this afternoon.
Delaney received the second highest number of votes (48) to be elected to the committee and will now receive €300-per-day in expenses while on official Uefa business.
He will continue in his role as FAI CEO, where he receives a €360,000 salary, whilst serving as a Uefa committee member. He will serve on the committee as part of a four-year term.
Delaney was one of eight candidates elected to the committee, with 11 candidates initially putting themselves forward for positions.
"I want to thank the football family in Ireland for their hard work and support on behalf of our sport. Our success today reflects their endeavours as they drive football on every day and every week," he said in a statement released by the FAI today.
"I represent the 400,000 members of the football community in Ireland and I am privileged to lead the game at Executive level.
"However, the mainstay of our game are the volunteers – our Board, Council, Committees as well as our clubs and leagues – all of which I represent in my role as CEO and now UEFA Executive Committee member.
"While Ireland may be regarded as one of the smaller footballing nations, we are known for punching above our weight and I look forward to bringing our voice and our views and experiences to the table in UEFA.
"I am looking forward to working with President ÄŒeferin and my fellow UEFA Executive Committee members for the benefit of football throughout Europe in the coming years."
Football Association of Wales vice-president Kieran O'Connor was unsuccessful, garnering the fewest number of votes.
Delaney will now serve alongside Zbigniew Boniek (Poland), David Gill (England), Reinhard Grindel (Germany), Karl-Erik Nilsson (Sweden), Michele Uva (Italy), Michael van Praag (Netherlands) and Servet Yardımcı (Turkey).
The FAI, along with each of the other 55 Uefa members, will also receive a €1m 'solidarity payment'. The announcement was made by Uefa president, Aleksander Ceferin.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has just announced he is giving all 55 member associations an extra €1m 'solidarity payment'
— Matt Slater (@mjshrimper) April 5, 2017
News of the payment comes just one day after the Republic of Ireland Women's National Team held a press conference to air their grievances regarding their treatment by the FAI.
Some of those complaints alleged that players were not being reimbursed for loss of earnings while on international duty with the squad and that the squad was forced to hand tracksuits after games to be used by other teams.
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