The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has decided it will attend Wednesday’s meeting of the Joint-Oireachtas committee on sport in Leinster House after all, having previously said they would not take part.
The move follows criticism of the FAI from Minister of Sport Patrick O’Donovan, who said a situation cannot arise where the Government is funding a sporting body that will not engage with the Oireachtas.
After a meeting of the board on Tuesday, the FAI has reconsidered its position regarding attendance at the hearing.
Wednesday’s hearing is due to explore issues around safeguarding in Irish football.
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An initial Oireachtas hearing to discuss safeguarding procedures with the FAI was set for July, but the association withdrew after expressing concerns around possible questions that could prejudice an ongoing Garda investigation into alleged abuse in the 1990s by a male coach of female players.
On Friday, the association’s chief executive David Courell wrote to the committee to decline the invitation for a second time.
Following Tuesday’s U-turn, Courell will now be joined by the FAI’s people and culture director Aoife Rafferty, president Paul Cooke, independent chair of the FAI board Tony Keohane and child welfare and safeguarding manager Kirsten Pakes.
Former Republic of Ireland WNT manager Eileen Gleeson, however, is not listed among the FAI attendees despite having been invited by the committee.
Gleeson wrote to the committee on Monday to inform them that she received a “directive” from the FAI explaining it would be “wholly inappropriate for you [Gleeson] to attend the committee in any capacity in circumstances where the FAI will not be in attendance”.
Despite the FAI’s change of mind, Gleeson will not be present at Leinster House alongside her colleagues.
The 53-year-old is currently taking legal action against the association on the grounds of gender discrimination. Gleeson was recently named as the FAI’s head of football strategic insights and planning.
The association has been given assurances by the committee that the ongoing Garda investigation will not be prejudiced by questions from politicians.
“If there are particular issues around courts and Garda investigations, there are mechanisms available to them to alert the chairman that there are certain things that they can’t answer,” said Mr O’Donovan.
Sport Ireland chief executive Una May will also be in attendance at Wednesday’s hearing.
