Key FAI posts are still not filled, PAC told

The recruitment of senior officials to lead the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) post-Saipan, as recommended in the Genesis report, has still not taken place almost two years after the report was published, it emerged at a hearing of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday.

While the report recommended the creation of four key posts following criticism levelled at the FAI after the 2002 World Cup, one of the posts is still vacant, and the Ireland manager, Mr Brian Kerr, is filling another of the positions on an informal basis, as well as his managerial duties.

Mr John Curran TD (FF) yesterday told the PAC he was concerned at the fact the posts had not been filled in the manner set out in the Genesis report. He said it was clear from the report that new personnel should have been recruited to the senior ranks of the FAI to lead the organisation out of what was then a difficult period.

"I'm not totally satisfied that it has happened in as calculated a way as that. It seems to have evolved."

Mr John Treacy, chief executive of the Irish Sports Council, which part funds the FAI, confirmed that the Genesis report urged the recruitment of an overall director of football, a director of marketing and communications, a director of high performance and a director of finance and administration.

However, while it was envisaged that a job specification be drawn up for all four positions and the posts then advertised, this had only happened in the case of the director of marketing and communications, with Mr Pat Costello having been recently appointed to that position.

Ireland's former first-choice goalkeeper, Mr Packie Bonner, is the current director of football, following an internal search with the FAI to fill the role. Mr Kerr is currently filling the role of high performance director while the administration and financial role has still to be filled.

Mr Curran said he was concerned that, because public money was being used to help fund the FAI, any position on offer should be properly advertised and personnel appointment rather than the posts being permitted to evolve.