Sport committee has unanswered questions after ‘bizarre’ FAI hearing

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

The chairman of the Oireachtas Sport Committee has criticised the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) for a “bizarre” refusal to answer key questions on safeguarding matters.

Labour TD Alan Kelly, who chairs the committee, said the sporting body left several questions unanswered after what several politicians characterised as a “frustrating” hearing.

It follows the FAI’s U-turn on a decision to pull out of the hearing altogether over concerns of “contradictory messaging” on the scope of the proceedings.

The sitting came against the backdrop of a joint investigation by RTÉ Investigates and the Sunday Independent, which detailed how multiple players were the subject of alleged unwanted or inappropriate sexual advances in the 1990s.

Matters raised in the Girls in Green documentary, which aired in July last year, are subject to a garda investigation.

The FAI ultimately decided to attend the committee after Sports Minister Patrick O’Donovan said it was not an option for the organisation, which receives State funding, not to attend.

During the hearing on Wednesday, key FAI officials cited legal advice and garda guidance for their refusal to comment on the specifics of certain safeguarding issues.

FAI chief executive David Courell told the committee: “We’ve been unable to share certain materials sought and we are obliged to avoid discussing the specifics of any case, just to outline that even discussing correspondence without naming individuals can impact a case, especially when the same correspondence has been detailed in media which has named the individuals involved and has pinpointed it as relating to them.”

He added: “When concerns were raised following the girls in green documentary last year, we noted that the robust policies and reporting structures that we now have in place were not in place to protect the individuals affected in that documentary back in the 1990s.

“The courage of the individuals involved who came forward underscores why this work matters. The FAI has also made three clear statements: Nobody should ever feel unsafe in Irish football; nobody should have felt unsafe in the past; and nobody should feel unheard.”

The FAI was questioned by several committee members over the timeframe of its safeguarding response to the central allegations raised in the documentary.

I have to say, 20 years inside (the Oireachtas), this was a bizarre situation where we ended up whereby the FAI refused to answer questions on anything, even in a generic way, relating to concerns in relation to Girls in Green documentary, and everything from it pre-January 2024Alan Kelly TD

It was the FAI’s stance that an official “complaint” about matters in the documentary was only brought in January 2024, and “crystallised” in February of that year.

The FAI said gardaí were approached after this official complaint.

However, members of the committee highlighted media reports that the organisation had prepared statements relating to some of the allegations in early 2023.

In response, FAI drew a distinction that anything prior to the official complaint was a “concern” or a “rumour”.

Representatives of the soccer body said they could not comment on any matters relating to the concern or complaint due to the garda probe.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Drivetime after the committee, Mr Kelly said questions remain over how the FAI distinguishes and responds to matters of “concern” and “complaints”, which were the subject of significant proportions of the hearing.

“I have to say, 20 years inside (the Oireachtas), this was a bizarre situation where we ended up whereby the FAI refused to answer questions on anything, even in a generic way, relating to concerns in relation to Girls in Green documentary, and everything from it pre January 2024.”

So really we haven't got to the bottom or got answers as regards to when concerns were raised, were they dealt with?Alan Kelly TD

He added: “Definitely, questions can be answered in relation to pre-January 2024 when the complaint was, as the chief executive said ‘crystallised’ – there was information obviously prior to this.

“So really we haven’t got to the bottom or got answers as regards to when concerns were raised, were they dealt with?

“Is the organisation up to doing so? How did it deal with things historically?”

Mr Kelly also criticised the FAI’s initial refusal to attend the hearing: “It was bizarre stuff if I’m being honest.”

He said the Committee had “absolutely the right” to ask questions about the documentary, characterising the FAI’s initial refusal to come in as “not acceptable”.

He added: “The FAI has been bailed up with the taxpayer, the FAI is totally dependent on the Government … and they have to come before an Oireachtas committee to answer questions.

“And even if they were never bailed out by anyone. This is safeguarding, safeguarding of adults, safeguarding of children. These are serious issues.”

Mr Kelly said the Committee was going to consider “other avenues” and review all requested documentation before bringing the FAI back in again.