FAI confidential document reveals suspension of stadium funding

A confidential document of the Football Association (FAI), which contains the entire text of chief executive John Delaney’s address to the association national council, was emailed to all members of the Irish media. The document revealed that government funding for the development of the proposed new Lansdowne Road stadium has been suspended until such time as the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) provide a €20m bond as a safeguard against public money advanced to the project during its initial stages. The IRFU is, in turn, seeking an indemnity for half of the amount from the FAI. Additionally, both organizations are also required to provide a further €500,000 in bridging finance in order to cover the day-to-day operating costs of the development as a result of the funding delay. The CCSO’s concern centers on the fact that taxpayers’ money could be squandered if the project is abandoned and the Lansdowne Road stadium subsequently sold on to another party. Delaney says in his address that "some progress has been made on the matter", but that "difficulties continue to exist." The FAI’s leadership had repeatedly claimed that all aspects of the development were running to schedule (the revamped stadium is due to open in 2009). Given that the FAI returned an operating surplus, before grants, of €2.8m on a turnover of €20.5m in the last financial year, €10m is not an amount that they will have access to. It was also revealed in the document that the FAI expects to generate €3.18m from the FIFA World Cup Group Four qualifying fixture against France in Dublin on 7 September. The FAI’s pleas for the confidential nature of the information to be respected were ignored by the Irish media.

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