We have covered the detail of yesterday’s FAI hearing before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media elsewhere, providing an ‘almost live’ first draft of the exchanges here in our PM bulletin yesterday.
With a night to reflect we thought it would be interesting to turn attention today to the way in which the exchanges were reported in the mainstream media, still a channel through which much of the public perception is set.
Writing in the Independent Dan McDonnell provided the most measured and balanced coverage of the broader points that had been discussed.
“There were animated exchanges across a sitting that scaled the 300-minute mark, with the political classes recognising that comparing the FAI top brass to their predecessors is the type of jab that will always land.”
“But this session was never going to grab the attention in the way that the Delaney hearings did. The details aren’t as captivating as the Delaney-era dramas. That’s not to.play down the significance of the curious case of (Jonathon) Hill’s payment for holidays he didn’t take and how it all came to pass with board members in the dark. It’s a serious issue yet it’s not going to make the top 20 of the all-time chart of unfortunate FAI episodes.”
He went on to say that “This gig wasn’t all bad news for the away team” and that there were a few nuggets in the back and forth that might have commanded headlines on another day.”
The Indo’s back page lead from the session was the FAI’s remaining tight lipped about reports that Anthony Barry was in the running to take over the Manager job with the Senior Men’s team.
Over at the Irish Times the focus was firmly on the pay row with 24 of the 25 paragraphs of Gavin Cummiskey’s piece on the second page of the Irish Times sports coverage, the first being devoted to newcastle United and man United’s exit from european competition.
The final paragraph did read “The hearing was supposed to discuss the FAI’s infrastructure plan as it is seeking €863 million from central government over a 15 year period.”
John Fallon writing in the Irish Examiner devoted all 24 of his paragraphs to the Payment row finishing off with a quote from Senator Micheál Carrigy that “We’ve had poor leadership in the FAI and it comes from the top,” said the Fine Gael representative, expressing his concern at the Department of Sport offering equivocal support for the FAI’s hierarchy.”
“When we had issues with the boxing association a few years ago, it improved after the Chairman and chief executive left and maybe something similar can happen here.”
The Irish Daily Mail has the most damning coverage claiming that unnamed ‘senior Government figures’ have lost faith in the FAI leadership.
None of the media picked up on the discussions around Government funding through the Sports Capital Project scheme and the fact that many football clubs were ineligible to apply because they do not own their own grounds. As an example and in response to Senator Carrigy’s points, Ger McDermottt, the Head of Grassroots revealed that 13 of the 15 clubs playing in Longford rent their pitches and are therefore in that pot.
The next outing for the FAI, with incoming Chair tony Keohane to replace his predecessor Roy Barrett in the delegation will be on February 1st in front of the Public Accounts Committee.
