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Updated 4.40pm
THE OIREACHTAS TRANSPORT committee will not call FAI chief executive John Delaney before it to answer questions about the FIFA payment controversy.
The decision was taken in private session this morning with it understood that Fianna Fáil, Labour and Sinn Féin opposed Fine Gael’s efforts to bring Delaney before the committee.
Fine Gael sources on the committee believe the decision of other parties was influenced by phonecalls Delaney placed to members of the committee in recent days, as TheJournal.ie reported last night.
It follows calls for the soccer executive to appear before TDs and Senators in relation to the controversial €5 million payment by FIFA to the FAI, following Ireland’s failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in controversial circumstances.
The committee received advice from the Oireachtas committee procedural office that the matter was not under its remit as it did not concern public money.
Speaking to RTÉ’s News at One, committee chair John O’Mahony said there had been “strong advice that it wasn’t in the committee’s remit”:
This was not public money, it was an issue between FIFA and the FAI.
Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis said that “everyone was satisfied that the money was accounted for”. Ellis had called for Delaney to appear before the committee last week, but had changed his position yesterday. He told this website he didn’t see any point in bringing Delaney in and confirmed he had spoken to him on the phone.
However some Fine Gael sources on the committee were unhappy with the outcome, pointing out that GAA boss Paraic Duffy appeared before it last year over the Garth Brooks saga despite it technically being beyond its remit.
One described the decision as being the result of a coordinated strategy from Labour, Finana Fáil and Sinn Féin NOT to call Delaney in. Another said the stance of the opposition parties and Labour had been influenced by Delaney having spoken to them in recent days.
“It sets a very, very dangerous precedent when he’s [Delaney] calling around members of the committee. Imagine if it happened with the Public Accounts Committee?” they said.
O’Mahony told RTÉ that there was a vote called but that his interpretation was that the “overall views of the vast majority of the committee was not to invite him in”.
It’s believed those in favour of calling Delaney in were Fine Gael TDs Brendan Griffin, Brian Walsh, Helen McEntee, and Patrick O’Donovan, along with senator Terry Brennan along with Independent TD Tom Fleming.
As well as Ellis and his Sinn Féin colleague Michael Colreavy, Fianna Fáil’s Timmy Dooley and Paschal Mooney opposed the motion to bring Delaney in.
Also opposed were Fine Gael’s Eamonn Coghlan, along with Labour’s Sean Kenny, Eamonn Maloney and Michael McCarthy. Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice also opposed the motion.
Last night TheJounal.ie reported that Delaney had been contacting TDs on the committee, saying that he would have little to add to what is already in the public domain.
Both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin members on the committee questioned whether there would be any benefit to bringing Delaney in for questioning having spoken to the FAI chief in recent days.
Delaney is understood to have contacted a number of committee members from all parties. While he did not express reluctance to appear before the committee he did inform politicians that he would have little to add to what has already been made public. The FAI released a detailed statement about the payment on Friday.
Delaney is also understood to have expressed concern that appearing before the committee this week would distract from Ireland’s crucial Euro 2016 qualifier with Scotland on Saturday.
O’Mahony confirmed he had taken a call from Delaney, saying:
He [Delaney] asked a question in relation to sending in clarifications in advance of the meeting and I advised him to do that. It wasn’t in anyway discussed whether he should or shouldn’t be called into the meeting.
The Fine Gael TD added that he wasn’t aware of calls being made to other committee members, but said it would be inappropriate if Delaney had said he did not want to appear at this time.
“It’s something that I would feel shouldn’t happen,” he added.
The FAI has not responded to a request for comment.
More: Why John Delaney has been ringing around TDs in the last few days…
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Or : “Organisation with questionable ability, answerable to government of questionable integrity, agree not to question man of questionable intelligence about the bribe which he announced he took, just one week after he complained about other people taking bribes”
We should just change the national anthem to the Monty Python’s Flying Circus theme tune and be done with it.
I’d like him to justify his massive wage and ask him to explain why he should get that money over supporting the irish football leagues
The FAI, is FIFA, without a 2nd ‘F!’
Oh my God…..oh my God he’s right…how could we not have seen this!!!?? John Delaney is…..Sett Blather (Delaney takes off mask) Roll credits.
He justifies his massive wage by saying that he has turned down better paying jobs elsewhere.
It’s difficult for people on twice the wage of comparable economies to preach about proportional remuneration.
What’s the problem here? Delaney got five million for the FAI. The fact it came from a crook doesn’t mean that Delaney did anything wrong. All those preaching morals should look in the mirror, I.e. Mourihno.
And what, in return he agrees not to question them?
And Teflon Delaney lets out a cheeky grin….
A least John Delaney put up a fight for his country
It’s not Delaney’s fault that FIFA care so little about money that they gave the FAI 5 million to go away.
Sepp Delaney is a thir(s)ty-turd rate CEO, even by FIFAs snake belly standards!! The kickback was embarrassment money for being chortled at by Don Blatter and associates!
Phewwww that was close John
You deserve to give yourself a payrise or some kind of bonus for talking yourself out of that one John!
Delaney must have giving them season tickets for Aviva stadium ! After all the mug gave Bertie Ahern free admission for life !
Will never go within an arses roar of that soul-less sh¡thole again so…..The Bertie Bagman Bowl!!
good,you wont be missed !!
Your oulfella certainly missed when he meant to shoot you into space!!
Looks like all those phone calls paid off John.
Of course not, they wouldn’t want to make their buddy uncomfortable would they?
The mug on that!!! He’s like Willy Wonka!!! Emma is definitely in it for the dosh
Knives are out now for Delaney. every picture now of him has him looking like a simpleton.
I think you will find he has always had that look.
While I’m not surprised at FF or Labour, why are the shinners not demanding he’s brought in? I though they were a party of the people?
It would only be the blind leading the blind
So a 5m euro undisclosed payment to a heavily exchequer subsidised organisation is not worth asking what is going on in the organisation??? What is going on here?
Next round of Dail bar drinks is on John Delaney!!!!!!
People I know told me he was a scamming feicker before he got the job, people who knew him personallly.
that tramp should be sacked from his position. what good has he ever done for Irish Football?
Tom. If he had been a half honest man he wouldn’t taken the money, i wouldn’t trust him now, if he told black was black. Emma get out now, unless of course you are there for the money.
Corporate box tickets buy silence .
Some good lobbying done by himself. Wonder will he take a voluntary pay cut and take what the head of the Spanish fa takes?
I’m glad that john Delaney was able to adequately persuade Fianna Fáil and Sinn Fein
Delaney saw a chance/opportunity to wrangle €5 million out of FIFA – and took it. The chap should be congratulated – instead of being pilloried by begrudgers. FIFA can well afford it…
Bill i hope you don’t work for a company, if so the boss better watch your goings on, if you think John Delaney was right in taking the 5 million, i suppose as far as you are concerned the rest of us a begrudgers.
von – €5m went from one football organization, to another. the recipient was Irish soccer. is that no good? Delaney didn’t steal it – just a bit of good negotiation no wonder GAA games never emigrated
Show me da money…..a##hole!!!
I think you give Delaney too much credit. Makes it sound like a stroke of genius on his part.
In truth I don’t think the hamster turns his wheel that fast…
The Committee will no doubt be spared the spectacle of Delaney lobing the gob on Ms English? !The man had no class
Heard John O Mahoney on the news @ 1 trying to justify the decision to bring Delaney in and he stuttered & stammered through the whole interview. Less then convincing and after listening to him I’m still not sure how they decided.
How much of the FIFA ‘loan’/cough…. did he cough/’loan’/cough….. to the ministers?
None, its all accounted for. And i’d get the cough looked at.
Where has it been accounted for? No accounts on this matter have been published, except inside Delaney’s sorely tortured pea sized brain….
So where was the 5 million spent ? Has he put in to the Irish homegrown clubs ?
If the man had any conscience or moral fibre he would resign… Doubt that will happen though. Has he or the FAI accepted other payments from FIFA that are subject to confidentiality clauses? Shame on the committee for not questioning him… Same old politics from FF.. Surprised by SF!
The man accepted a bribe. it makes no difference that the €5 million went to the FAI coffers. Accepting a bribe is illegal and he should be prosecuted.
disgraceful
Sure what answers will he give, this one time at band camp………. because he sure as hell doesn’t look like he has the answers to anything. Are those my feet……….
He has a lot in common with the government, they both need to go. One could mistake him for a lovechild of blatter. The same i love me attitude, nothing matters but me.
Can someone explain to me what Delany has done wrong?
He got €5m payment from FIFA.
What exactly is wrong with that?
You’d think he pocketed the money that way the media and FG supporters in particular are carrying on. It went into the FAI account.
I can understand the FA’s of other countries not liking this as it was extra money that they didn’t get also. But what on earth are the Irish people up in arms about?
Danny where did the money go. Where is the breakdown figures. Why was it kept quiet.why wasn’t there a fuss made over the handball.
well said Danny,i would think there are a lot of GAA heads commenting here…begrudgers !
more than likely eamonn. they complain when FOOTBALL get’s money and spends it on football. their beloved GAA has been sitting on a ridiculous amount of money for years without making a dent on it.
Danny. Pointless explaining if you don’t already know.
The money was invested in New Stadium Ltd , a joint venture between the FAI / IRFU … all public knowledge. I’m no fan of John Delaney put let’s not take the pitchforks out just yet.
I smell a rat !
Agree Bart.
In the UK in 2011 the UK gov’t initiated a second national inquiry into the governance of English football. The first inquiry (2006) led by Lord Burns investigated the governance and structural workings of the FA as it was perceived as being out of date, behind standards of governance best-practice in business and simply institutionally incapable of delivering best results for English football. The inquiry resulted in the Burns Report with a series of recommendations, not all of which were followed. In Scotland a similar report was prepared, led by an ex-player and politician. The second inquiry into English football investigated widespread insolvency in English club football and controversial topics such as agent fees, the Football Creditors Rule, the power of the EPL over the FA etc.
I see absolutely no reason why this Oireachtas Committee shouldn’t initiate something similar in the FAI’s case. Furthermore, the ISC should look at UK Sport which only dishes out public funds to bodies that have passed rigorous governance tests. The FAI’s blazer culture, its lack of transparency, its organisational structure, its remuneration arrangements, Delaney’s contract extension, the AGMs with no questions ever asked, the Blazers’ retirement age increase etc are all valid reasons to suggest the FAI is inefficient and self-serving. Do our public representatives give a hoot? No. In 2014 I asked Leo Varadkar when he was sport minister. He said it wasn’t his business. If not his, whose?
If the Oireachtas deems it not worthy of scrutiny then it’s time to draw a line under this ‘story.’ What’s happening on the training pitch is more important and preparations for Scotland need to take centre stage now, save the discussion until the game is out of the way, c’mon Ireland.
The last man to call on us to “put on the green jersey lads…” was Seanie Fitzpatrick just before his bank hit the rocks and we are all still paying for it…..GET REAL!!
it is no business of the Irish People what the millions the tax payer pays to the FAI are spent on.
Mary Lou has clearly learned from her embarrassing attack on Angela Kerins and knows she’d wither under the Bambi-like gaze of John Delaney if she faced him at a PAC hearing.
Great picture.
pot and kettle !!!!
Please Journal, hang him out to dry!! Absolute shambles!
Delaney done an excellent job for the FAI first with blatter and then with rearranging their bank loans.
5million plus 5 million = a CEO doing a good job for his employer. If only the politicians were quarter as efficient at negotiating for the taxpayers.
All for 1 & 1 for all!!!!
this corruption is totally out of control, they are now doing it out in the open.just don’t care,they are the elite,parasites.
So the politicians are apoplectic about the €5 mill yet they see nothing wrong with writing down loans of hundred of millions for their buddies , double standards ….
Delaney should have held out for 10 million , most FIFA cheques are in multiples of 10 anyway !
Oooh… Johnny D knows things about certain folk and was threatening to spill the beans!
Well i got friends in low places and they can do anything.
He wasn’t to worried about it on the ray D’Arcy show. He had this in the bag. politics becons.
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