An Oireachtas committee discussing safeguarding at the FAI has heard the association stood-down thousands of coaches over the lack of Garda vetting and incomplete courses.
The FAI did not attend the meeting, despite repeated requests by Committee Chair Alan Kelly to do so.
The meeting’s heard Sport Ireland has written to sporting bodies to remind them of their legal obligations around the safeguarding of children and young people.
Carlow-Kilkenny TD Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere, outlines what’s happened since the FAI appeared before the committee at the end of September:
“The FAI had a special board meeting eight days later where safeguarding was discussed on the 8th of October. On the 9th of October, 12 League of Ireland referees were stood down. There were 6,000 stand-down orders issued to coaches – 6,000 and on top of that, there was a statement to media saying they had identified inconsistencies.”
