A government representative has labelled the Football Association of Ireland’s (FAI) hopes to utilise the Brexit Adjustment Fund for the establishment of a durable club academy system as “unrealistic”. On Saturday, David Courell, interim CEO of the FAI, declared plans to utilise a part of the €1.14 billion fund, established to support Irish industries severely affected by the UK’s departure from the EU, at the association’s annual meeting held in Stillorgan. However, the vast majority of these EU funds have already been assigned and spent, hence FAI’s proposal for an amount between €10 and €30 million seems likely to be dismissed. The FAI is currently €40 million in debt.
From some undisclosed sources, it was gleaned that not all monetary checks were conducted when Dundalk was purchased by Ainscough, as stated by the FAI interim chief. At the same time, an escalating betting levy and additional government funding encompassing the Brexit fund may assist in creating a football industry that is imperative to augment the chances of Ireland’s senior men’s team to qualify for principal tournaments.
No Irish teams have been seen in competition after participating in Euro 2016 headed by Martin O’Neill about eight years ago, and the country fell to 58th in the Fifa ranking. Courell accepted that the major part of the Brexit fund had already been allocated, but also expressed a hope for the possibility of re-assigning any remaining funds. Consequently, negotiations are continuing with the government about sustainable funding possibilities.
The funds from the Brexit adjustment were primarily accessed between 2016 to 2020 by most of the benefiting industries. During the motive part of this duration, John Delaney was the FAI’s CEO. A government official noted the lateness indeed by stating, “The FAI have come very late to the table. Most of that money was spent years ago”.
As for the latest approach to the government, Courell was asked to clarify. Specifically regarding how the distribution of an equivalent sum of funding across 24 state academies wouldn’t be reasonable, considering the football structures of Portugal and Poland.
At present, Ireland has just 10 full-time coaches at its football academies, a figure dwarfed by the numbers in Poland and Portugal, with 376 and 315 coaches across 16 and 7 academies respectively. Eoghan Courell made assurances that plans are in place to boost all academies, with the focus on strategically channelling funds via a tiered investment model across a three-tier academy system.
He stressed that the progression and potential to make a substantial impact would be the consideration for allocation of funds. This plan would be reinforced by a meticulous auditing process not just for the clubs but for the broader future of the sport. Mr Courell urged the government to acknowledge the critical role of these academies in building future international teams. Although recognising that clubs are private enterprises, he maintained that revitalising the academy infrastructure could lead to significant return value through transfer value, hence creating a self-reliant industry.
The first tier of academies would be required to offer on-site access to the Leaving Cert curriculum or create a symbiotic relationship with proximate secondary schools. This is akin to the agreement between Shamrock Rovers and Ashfield College.
The FAI now seeks to heighten the betting levy from 2% to 3%. This increase is expected to yield approximately €50 million and Irish football aims to benefit from €30 million of that amount. The Sports Department has been advocating for this hike since 2023, following past FAI Chairman Roy Barrett’s disapproval of the 2% levy being primarily spent on horse and greyhound racing prize money.
On this point, Sport Minister of State, Thomas Byrne, is engaging with Jack Chambers, currently the Finance Minister and his immediate predecessor. FAI Chairman Tony Keohane confessed that it may be too premature and that the crux of the problem lies in the generation of these funds and not the objective behind this revenue.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) anticipates an increase in the annual grant of €2.8 million it gets from Sport Ireland. As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2020, the expected grant sum will amount to €5.8 million. This increment forms part of a government rescue package intended for the association.
However, this MOU might be contingent upon the FAI making necessary changes to the existing governance of school football for boys and girls nationwide. Immediate measures are needed to fix the structural issues in the leagues of Dublin and the midlands.
When posed with enquires about potential staff layoff in 2025, Courell expressed a desire to minimise the chances of such cuts within the association. The aim is to boost commercial income and secure extra grants or other financial sources that could potentially be funnelled into the game; three such measures were laid out today.
Without concrete confirmation, Courell hinted at the possibility of the FAI’s Emerging Talent Programme being put on hold due to budget constraints. He admitted uncertainty regarding whether this suspension has been disclosed to the public.