MICK McCARTHY'S rebuilding programme was given the seal of approval after members of the FAI's new Board of Management had approved a two-year extension of his contract as national team manager.
The verdict, following the FAI's annual general meeting in Athlone on Saturday, means that he will stay in charge until after the next European championship.
"I am delighted to be given this vote of confidence by the FAI and pledge to go on working hard to ensure that we build on the successes of recent years," he said.
The sentiments of those in the crowded room were expressed by Bernard O'Byrne, the FAI's chief executive when he said the over-whelming feeling is that Mick McCarthy is the best man for the job and this was reflected in the tone of the speakers," he said McCarthy, who was appointed to replace Jack Charlton in February of last year, has now taken charge of the national senior team on 15 occasions, winning four games, drawing four and losing seven.
On his own admission, the home draw against Iceland and the defeat in Macedonia were serious set-backs on the road to World Cup qualification. Yet, with no clearly-defined challengers for the post emerging over the last 12 months his position was, in many respects, secure.
On his return from the game in Romania at the end of April, McCarthy sought a meeting with FAI officials to have his position clarified ahead of the expiry of his current contract, During those talks, it emerged that the manager enjoyed the confidence of the association's senior officers but no decision on a new contract, could be taken until the matter had been debated by the new Board of Management.
Conditions of the new agreement have not been disclosed but they are understood to be largely unchanged from the original contract which the parties accepted some 16 months ago.
The effect of this vote of confidence, will be to encourage McCarthy to persevere with his rebuilding programme, a policy which could have been in jeopardy had his job been dependant on the results of the remaining four World Cup qualifying games.
Otherwise, it was a relatively mundane day at the office for the association's decision-makers. The question of Louis Kilcoyne's position within the association, in the light of his alleged meeting with Wimbledon FC officials, was not aired in public.
The chairman of the Athlone District Council Breffni Rowan's attempt to raise the question of Wimbledon's proposed move to Ireland was dismissed.
The matter, it seems, is still far too sensitive to be debated publicly but before he was silenced, Rowan was on his feet long enough to say that he met recently with members of the consortium hoping to relocate Wimbledon in Dublin.
According to Rowan, they are willing to build a new stadium in the city. offer it free of charge to the FAI for international occasions and in return for the support of the association, make a one-off payment of £10 million.
