Labour slams FAI over redundancies and lack of accountability
Labour slams FAI over redundancies and lack of accountability - The Labour Party
Labour sports spokesperson Rob O’Donoghue TD has today criticised the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) for announcing redundancies and closing a youth training scheme in Dundalk without providing any clear justification or transparency around the decision. Workers employed by the FAI have condemned the organisation’s move to shut down a youth training scheme at Oriel Park, County Louth. The closure will see two community development officer roles made redundant and 28 trainees left without a programme that was due to begin next week.
Deputy O’Donoghue said:
“The FAI has made a unilateral decision to close this scheme and cut jobs without proper explanation or consultation. There has been no announcement of a redundancy package, no collective bargaining with staff representatives, and still no sign of the FAI’s 2024 accounts.
“Anybody in receipt of significant public funds should be obliged to engage in collective bargaining. The FAI’s decision to meet with SIPTU separately rather than through proper industrial relations channels raises serious questions about transparency and accountability.
“This is an organisation that receives millions in taxpayer funding each year, yet it is refusing to engage meaningfully with its workforce. That is unacceptable.
“Sport Ireland’s hands-off approach is failing sport and the wider public interest. SIPTU members within the FAI are still waiting to see the so-called FAI Transformation Plan, which appears to include further redundancies. That represents a serious breakdown in trust and governance in what is largely a publicly funded body.
“In addition, this decision affects not only the staff directly involved but also the young people in Dundalk who were depending on this training programme. It is deeply disappointing to see an organisation that relies on public funding acting without accountability or empathy.
“The FAI must publish its 2024 accounts immediately, engage with staff through collective bargaining structures, and provide a full explanation for the closure of this vital community scheme. Transparency is the bare minimum when public money is involved.
“We need urgent action from the FAI and oversight from Government to ensure accountability for how public funds are being spent. Sport Ireland must step in and require proper governance before any further taxpayer money is allocated.”