John Delaney has been chief executive of the FAI since 2005

Football Association of Ireland chief executive John Delaney has said that he provided the governing body with a €100,000 bridging loan in April 2017.

The short-term loan was required to aid cash flow at the time and was repaid in full to Delaney by the FAI two months later.

Delaney has also confirmed that his UEFA remuneration for 2018 has been donated back to the FAI on a voluntary basis.

Speaking on Saturday night, Delaney said: "I am aware of stories circulating around this loan dating back to 2017.

"I confirm that I made a once-off bridging loan to the Association to aid a very short-term cash flow issue.

"This is the only occasion on which I provided the Association with a short-term loan."

Delaney was appointed chief executive of the FAI in 2005.

He has overseen the appointment of a number of Republic of Ireland managers, most recently Mick McCarthy who succeeded Martin O'Neil last November.