Ross asks FAI president to withdraw re-election bid
SPORTS Minister Shane Ross has written to the Football Association of Ireland president Donal Conway asking him to withdraw his nomination to be re-elected in the role this weekend.
On Monday, the FAI confirmed that its current president Mr Conway had been nominated unopposed to be the association’s next president ahead of its AGM at the end of the month.
In the stinging letter, Mr Ross called on Mr Conway to withdraw his nomination for re-election at the upcoming AGM and allow for new leadership in the FAI.
Mr Ross said that the move to re-elect Mr Conway fell short of the ‘transparency and democracy which we would expect of an organisation seeking to implement good governance practices’.
Following a number of controversies which have engulfed the FAI in the last number of months, the members of the current board of the FAI said that they would step down from their position to allow for a new board to be formed. However, Mr Ross said that Mr Conway has now effectively reversed that position.
‘Contrary to this commitment, you have now been effectively reelected as president of the FAIyou have been, somewhat unexpectedly, unopposed for this position,’ wrote Mr Ross.
‘This was a reversal of your promise to bring reform to the FAI under a new leadership.
‘Together with your decision to appoint former FAI employee and loyalist Noel Mooney to the post of general manager, this development means that the new regime has a very old look about it.’
‘I must ask you to withdraw your nomination for re-election at the upcoming AGM to allow for new leadership with credible reform credentials, in the best interests of football.’
In response to Mr Ross’s letter, the FAI said that, as per the report from the Independent Governance Review Group, at least one and a maximum of two members of the current board of the FAI might consider putting themselves forward for positions on the interim board.
Three people are also vying for the position of vice-president of the association, once of whom is the current vice-president Noel Fitzroy.
‘In accordance with the report, endorsed by the FAI and Sport Ireland, two members of the current board have been nominated by AGM members to stand for the positions of president and vicepresident,’ said the FAI.
‘Only one nomination for the position of president has been forthcoming from AGM members whereas the nominations have been received for the role of vice-president.’
The FAI added that the president of the association will not chair the interim board as per the recommendations of the report which will instead be chaired by an independent director.
This comes after months of controversy at the association.
Earlier this month the FAI revealed malicious software affecting its payroll computers has been discovered in the wake a cyber attack.
The attack took place during the June Bank Holiday weekend and a subsequent investigation found malware on the FAI’s payroll server.
The association said that it has written to all staff and former staff to update them on the cyber attack and to reassure them that none of their data was extracted from the system.
Back in March, it was revealed that then chief executive John Delaney had given the organisation a €100,000 bridging loan in 2017. He later stepped down from his role.
‘In the best interests of football’