Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae has defended his decision to stand up for former FAI chief executive John Delaney in the Oireachtas yesterday.

The much-anticipated Oireachtas Sports Committee hearing was dominated by questions regarding a €100,000 loan Mr Delaney handed the association out of his own pocket two years ago.

However, Mr Delaney told the assembled TDs and Senators that, based on legal advice, he was “precluded” from answering questions on the loan, the association’s finances or his former role as CEO.

"Passionately committed"

While politicians were attempting to question Mr Delaney on the loan and other FAI governance issues, independent TD Michael Healy Rae used his time to lavish praise on the 51-year-old.

He said the only thing he could be accused of was “being passionately committed to your job, passionately committed to the survival of the business” and that “all you were trying to do was do good.”

He said he still views Mr Delaney as “most definitely the best qualified person” for the newly-created role of executive vice-president at the FAI and said he would be given “the mother of all welcomes” the next time he comes to Kerry.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Deputy Healy-Rae said he stood by his approach to the hearing.

“I believe in a reasoned, balanced approach to dealing with anybody,” he said.

“I like to be fair and not to be joining a pack of wolves that go after somebody the minute they smell a bit of blood.

“I just don’t agree with that.”

FAI Executive Vice-President John Delaney arrives at Leinster House, 10-04-2019. Image: Brian Lawless/PA Wire/PA Images

Delaney

The committee heard that Mr Delaney wrote the association the cheque in April 2017 when it became clear that “there was a likelihood of insufficient funds being available” to cover its payments for the month.

It heard that the board was not informed of the loan – despite the fact that previous FAI statements suggested it was fully aware of the situation at the time.

Mr Delaney said he only informed the board two years later – after receiving a media inquiry from The Sunday Times.

Questions

Deputy Healy Rae said the transaction raise questions – but insisted the public should focus on the “good work” he said Mr Delaney has carried at the FAI.

“Of course I 100% believe in proper governance, proper accountability of money and what happens and what doesn’t happen,” he said.

“But at the end of the day what John Delaney did was put money into something, he didn’t take it out.

“It might have been misguided in doing it the way that he did - and that it was not reported or accounted for properly as to what had actually happened.

“So I mean there might be questions to answer there but to go forgetting about all the good work that John Delaney did, I just think that would be very, very unfair.”

FAI executive vice-president John Delaney (right) and FAI president Donal Conway arrive at Leinster House, 10-04-2019. Image: Brian Lawless/PA Wire/PA Images

Accounts

The FAI said no contract was entered into regarding the loan and no interest and or charges were paid by the association as a result of it.

It is unclear if the payment was properly recorded in the FAI accounts; however, the association admitted that it breached State funding rules by not informing Sport Ireland of the loan.

Sport Ireland has since announced its decision to temporarily 'suspend and withhold' future funding to the FAI until the association can prove it is compliant with its funding rules.

The State body approves around €2.9m in grant funding for the FAI every year.