Football Association of Ireland chief executive John Delaney has contacted TDs on the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Sport in advance of a decision on whether they should call him in to answer questions on the €5 million given to the association by Fifa.
TDs said Mr Delaney told them he had disclosed everything necessary about the payment in recent days, and some were divided on whether to call him before them.
Committee chairman John O’Mahony said TDs and senators will decide today on whether to call in Mr Delaney, who has sent the committee detailed documents.
Dublin North West Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis said Mr Delaney had contacted him and expressed the view he had already disclosed as much as he could regarding the payment, made in the aftermath of a World Cup qualifying play-off game in 2009 in which France's Thierry Henry infamously handled the ball.
“He felt that everything had been disclosed and I advised him to send a copy of everything to the committee,” he said.
Mr Ellis also said he is a committed follower of the Republic of Ireland soccer team and had yet to meet anyone at matches who felt the FAI accepting the money was a bad move.
“The reality is I take a cue from listening to people but every single person, virtually to a tee, said they were right to take that money. The consensus is there was never going to be a replay.”
Fianna Fáil's Timmy Dooley said he had yet to be convinced of the need to bring Mr Delaney in to a "show trial".
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