TDs hit out at FAI over ‘flimsy’ excuse for not attending Oireachtas committee

The FAI gave a “flimsy” excuse for refusing to go before an Oireachtas committee discussing FAI safeguarding on Wednesday, according to the committee’s chairman, Alan Kelly.

The Labour TD said that the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said it couldn’t appear before the Oireachtas because it’s a match week for the men’s senior team.

Mr Kelly criticised the FAI for its absence and argued that they have appeared before the committee in the past during a matchweek.

“It’s quite regrettable that the FAI is not here, there is an empty seat with their name on it,” he said.

“I think it is not good practice, given where we are with the FAI in relation to these very serious issues in relation to safeguarding.

“The reasons for that are their own. For me, they seem quite flimsy because, based on precedents, they came to other meetings when there were matches on in the same week, and obviously we’re on Wednesday and the match is for another period of time.”

He added that at the previous meeting of the Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport in relation to the FAI, serious issues were raised in terms of safeguarding by the FAI.

He said while some actions have been taken since, he is concerned that the FAI wouldn’t have taken those actions if it weren’t for the committee.

Sport Ireland chief executive Dr Úna May told the committee that, on foot of those issues, a review has been ordered into child protection practices across all national governing bodies of Irish sport.

Mr Kelly said that it is regrettable that FAI representatives didn’t appear at Wednesday’s committee to discuss the report.

“At a previous meeting, a number of issues were raised by members here, and as a consequence, the FAI took certain actions within a very short period of time subsequent to that, there is a concern that these actions would not have been taken if the issues hadn’t been raised here by members,” he said.

“But yet, despite repeated requests and indeed right to the minister, the FAI have refused to come here in front of this committee today, so it is quite regrettable that the FAI aren’t here. We do intend to have them with us in the near future.

“We understand that the report is being done, but given that the members of this committee raised issues that resulted in a number of safeguarding issues being actioned by this same organisation, given the fact that it has now stimulated an action by Sport Ireland, given the fact that these are very, very serious issues of concern, and that there is now stimulating a report from the FAI in the coming months, we would have wanted the opportunity now, as part of this group, to give our opinions and ask our questions in relation to that topic.

“And I think it is quite wrong, unfortunate, and I would like the department and support Ireland to actually take note of the fact that FEI have refused to attend here today, but we do look forward to meeting with them in the near future.”

Fine Gael Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn added: “I think it’s very unfortunate the FAI are not here. We have an empty seat.

“It’s a very serious topic that we are discussing. So it’s disappointing, I’m sure, for the other witnesses who are going to have to discuss this in their absence.

“The Irish team doesn’t fly out until tomorrow afternoon after training sessions, so I don’t know why the executives couldn’t be here today.”

Dr Úna May said that all of the sporting bodies under Sport Ireland’s remit will be required to conduct a safeguarding review and present results by Friday, November 20.

“Organisations have been tasked to undertake a review of the processes, practices and checks in place to ensure that legal child protection obligations are being adhered to at all levels in their sport, and to advise if they are satisfied with the self-declarations provided to Sport Ireland as part of the most recent Core safeguarding compliance submissions,” she said.

Dr May said that on Thursday, October 8, the FAI contacted Sport Ireland to make them aware of some inconsistencies in the FAI Connect system related to safeguarding compliance records.

She added that Sport Ireland has continued to engage with the FAI on the matter, and that she personally has met with the organisation a number of times since.

She said: “So broadly speaking, what was discussed at those meetings, without going into the level of detail that I think the FAI can provide themselves, was the issues that had caused the situation to arise as far as they could see, and the confusion, the administrative confusion that they were identifying in terms of their own confusion around the regulations, the laws, and the situation regarding clubs that had children participating in separate clubs.

“So they have multiple different issues to try and get to the bottom of. It’s quite a complex kind of data cleansing operation that they’ve been undertaking and they’ve been providing us with updates on how that is going.”

Social Democrats TD Daniel Ennis asked for greater detail into the inconsistencies the FAI had flagged with Sport Ireland, but was told on a number of occasions that Sport Ireland is “awaiting a response” and only the FAI could present those details.

“Again, we’d probably have that response or not to that if the FAI were here, so it’s again very, very disappointing.

“I can’t state that enough.”

Fianna Fáil TD Alison Comyn thanked all of the committee witnesses for “having the good grace” to attend.

She added: “I can’t understand how the FAI have not got a representative here.

“We all know just how vital it is that we know that our children, our young people, everybody is safe while they’re playing sports. So thank you for attending.”