New Memorandum of Understanding with the FAI approved by Government

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D., and the Minister of State for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht, Thomas Byrne T.D., have announced that they have put in place a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the FAI in respect of funding support for the period 2024 to 2027.

Following the financial collapse of the FAI in 2019, the Government and the FAI, in January 2020, agreed an MOU, which included a total funding package of €30.8 million for the period 2020-2023, underpinned by 163 recommendations and conditions.

The Government recognises that the FAI’s finances remain in a difficult position and will continue as such for a number of years until their hosting of Euro 2028. This should have a positive impact on their finances. In light of this, the Government has agreed to provide continued enhanced funding to the organisation.

During the lifetime of the previous MOU, the FAI also received significant financial backing by the Government, with over €67.4 million in public funding provided to the FAI through various funding streams (see breakdown below).

In addition, football has also benefitted under the Department’s capital funding schemes, including the Community Sport Facilities Fund (previously named the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme) and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund.

Between 2020-2024, a total allocation of €71 million was awarded to football-specific projects (excluding multi-sports projects) under the Community Sport Facilities Fund and a total allocation of €52.4 million was awarded to football-specific projects (excluding multi-sport projects) under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund.

In the intervening years under the previous MOU, the FAI has made significant progress on reforms. Under the new MOU, the Government has agreed to provide a continuation of funding for the association’s football development programmes, providing €6 million per annum for the period 2024 to 2027, provided there is compliance with the MOU’s conditions.

Additional once-off funding for football development of up to €1 million will also be allocated this year, across a number of areas including grassroots and underage football, women’s football, safeguarding and referees’ development.

Speaking at the announcement today, Minister Martin said:

“If the FAI had been allowed to fail following its financial collapse, the consequences would have been catastrophic for Irish football at every level, from our international teams to grassroots and schools football. The previous MOU not only provided the association with financial stability but also brought about the necessary governance reforms to allow it to rebuild itself as a fit for purpose governing body. Of the 163 recommendations and conditions set out in the previous MOU, the FAI has either completed or partially completed 159 of them. This new MOU will allow the FAI to further progress its corporate governance reform agenda, while at the same time giving it the financial support needed to continue to develop football across the country.”

Speaking at the announcement today, Minister Byrne said:

“It is clear that the FAI’s finances remain in a difficult position and will continue as such until 2028 at the earliest, when the hosting of Euro 2028 should have a significant positive impact on the financial outlook of the organisation. The Government has decided to approve a new Memorandum of Understanding with the FAI in order to ensure that the organisation’s valuable work in developing Irish football can continue. If state funding for the FAI was reduced at this point in time, I believe this would prove counterproductive to the association’s efforts to develop football across the country, and I am also conscious of the negative impact that any reduction in state funding might have on our participation targets.

“As a government, we are committed to supporting Irish football. Our commitment to Irish football is underscored by the record capital allocations to the sport in 2024 alone, totalling over €100 million, as announced recently under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund and the Community Sport Facilities Fund.

“In announcing the new MOU with the FAI today, I also want to acknowledge and commend the significant reforms that were implemented by the FAI during the period under the previous MOU. I welcome the agreement of this new MOU which will provide a total of €24 million to the FAI over the next four years and will help ensure the further development of Irish football.”

The Memorandum of Understanding can be read here.

Public funding provided to the FAI through various funding streams from 2020 to 2023 was as follows: