The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is working backwards when it comes to uniting a fragmented sport, according to Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly.
Deputy Farrelly, who’s the party’s sports spokesperson, said:
“Not for the first time, the FAI has decided that grassroots organisations should have no voice in the future of Irish football, presenting them with a binary of compliance with a summer timetable or a loss of funding.
“It’s clear that the only losers in situations like this one are those who love the sport, and for whom the sport provides an outlet, a purpose, from hobby to passion.
“The FAI is refusing to acknowledge that 85% of grassroots organisations have no desire to commit to a unified timetable – there’s a pervading fear that doing so could place unmanageable stresses on volunteers, coaches and referees, some of whom work with different sports during the conventional off-season.
“These concerns, despite being voiced on numerous occasions over the years, have been ignored.
“Nobody can be left behind here; the FAI must do everything they can to consolidate support before making rash decisions like this one – consultation must take place before announcing radical alterations to the status quo, not afterwards.
“The Schoolboys’ and Girls’ Association of Ireland (SFAI), which represents over 100,000 children across 32 leagues, has made it clear that it’s been threatened with defunding if it does not comply with the new timetable – ultimatums like this one are not the way to progress our sport.
“As a coach of a team in the Kildare and District Underage League (KDUL), I understand how frustrating it is when plans like these aren’t informed by those of us who have experience on the ground.
“I’ve requested a meeting with FAI Grassroots Chief Ger McDermott to urge him to slow this process down until all voices are heard and incorporated into a plan which better reflects the sentiment of players, clubs and leagues around the country.
“I will continue to seek Dáil speaking time on this matter, as I have been for a number of weeks – I’ve written to the Minister for Sports to have a constructive conversation on how we might go forward, where I hope to represent the concerns of stakeholders.”
April 17th, 2025