Minster for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross has confirmed that the government will not be in a position to reinstate funding to the FAI.
The statement from the department comes after it was confirmed last night that the KOSI audit into the organisation has been referred to An Garda Síochána by Sport Ireland.
Since then, Off The Ball has seen correspondence between Minister Ross and a member of the Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport confirming that Ross' department also wrote to the Gardaí to confirm that they had received a copy of the report and would cooperate with any potential investigation.
Statement on the FAI
"The Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Shane Ross TD, today confirmed that on foot of the findings of the KOSI report, received this week, the Government will not be in a position to reinstate State funding to the FAI in the near future.
The Minister said, however, that both he and Minister of State, Brendan Griffin TD, have been working closely with Sport Ireland to create alternative mechanisms to deliver much needed support for deserving sports clubs and teams around the country.
The Ministers confirmed that football clubs continue to receive significant on-going funding through the State Sports Capital Programme.
Minister Ross said: “More immediately, in tandem with Sport Ireland, we are finalising a proposal to fund the Women’s National team and players via a trusted independent third party. This proposal, which was approved in principle by the board of Sport Ireland last month, will be concluded and agreed in the coming days.”
The FAI have since confirmed that they too will cooperate with any impending questions from the Gardaí:
"The Football Association of Ireland will co-operate fully with any Garda Siochana investigation into FAI affairs on the back of the decision by the CEO of Sport Ireland to refer the report to An Garda Siochana."
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