A third FAI board member is strongly considering quitting in the wake of the crisis engulfing the association.
Former Honorary Secretary Michael Cody and Honorary Treasurer Eddie Murray were removed from the under-fire board yesterday.
But Mirror Sport understands they won’t be the last with another telling friends over the weekend: “I’ve had enough.”
The FAI board came under renewed fire last night for refusing to step down in the face of this crisis.
According to the FAI, former CEO John Delaney has ‘voluntarily stepped aside” from his Executive Vice President role pending an internal investigation.
But the association refused to say whether Delaney was doing so on full pay or not. They also refused to say how long the ‘investigation’ may take.
Delaney is still on UEFA’s executive committee but it’s unclear what European football’s governing body make of one of their top dogs being under investigation.
Sources close to FAI board members believe it’s only a matter of time before the entire board quits.
But that’s unlikely to happen until the conclusion of the FAI’s independent investigation ‘into issues of concern to the Board’.
Today, Sport Ireland will tell the Oireachtas committee that it will consider a full audit of the FAI as part of the conditions for restoring State funding for the organisation.
Sport Ireland cut FAI funding last week following the FAI’s refusal to fully explain the controversial €100,000 loan that John Delaney provided the association.
Sport Ireland will say: “The suspension and withholding of funding to a National Governing Body is not a decision that the Board of Sport Ireland ever takes lightly.
Paul O'Hehir: John Delaney isn't quite gone yet - but there's no coming back from this
"It is typically an intervention of last resort, and is only ever used reluctantly.
"Sport Ireland is acutely aware that this action causes uncertainty and disruption to the delivery of very important strategic programmes.
"However, Sport Ireland is ultimately responsible for the security and accountability of approximately €2.9m in public funding invested in the FAI."
Meanwhile, the FAI has furnished the Oireachtas committee with some of the answers to questions it was unable or refused to answer during last week’s shambolic hearing.
And acting chief executive Rea Walshe last night confirmed the association has an active Tax Clearance Certificate.
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