The FAI will not benefit from a new UEFA cash injection of €4.3million, made to help all national associations cope with the financial impact of the Covid-19 crisis, because the advance payment had already been drawn down by previous board of the FAI.

UEFA announced on Monday that it was releasing €236.5m "to support its member associations at this difficult time" and that each of the 55 national associations would receive €4.3m.

The money was not a special grant or a gift but was an advance payment of funds due to the associations from UEFA's HatTrick programme.

"This HatTrick funding is usually distributed to the national associations to cover running costs and to help develop specific and targeted areas of domestic football. However, UEFA has decided to allow each association to set its own priorities in light of the negative impact of the coronavirus on football at all levels," a UEFA statement said.

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UEFA president Alexander Ceferin said: "Our sport is facing an unprecedented challenge brought about by the COVID-19 crisis. UEFA wants to help its members to respond in ways that are appropriate to their specific circumstances.

"As a result, we have agreed that up to €4.3m per association, paid for the remainder of this season and next, as well as part of the investment funding, can be used as our members see fit to rebuild the football community."

All football activity in Ireland is on hold, though the FAI are still officially targeting a return to League of Ireland action on June 19, with discussions this week on whether it's financially viable to play matches behind closed doors if Government restrictions prohibit crowds.

Last week, FAI CEO Gary Owens had stressed it was vital to the association's financial health to be able to host September's senior international at home to Finland in the Nations League.

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With senior FAI staff having taken pay cuts, the domestic game at all levels on hold and no guarantee of when the senior international side can play those money-spinning home games, the €4.3m would have made a significant contribution to the FAI, who last week benefited from an advance payment of €462,000 from FIFA.

But UEFA sources have confirmed that the portion from the €236.5m due to the FAI was already drawn down, as an advance payment, in the time when John Delaney was FAI CEO.

"The HatTrick payments were not due to be made until 2020 but UEFA made an exception for the FAI at the time," a UEFA source said. Delaney was a member of UEFA's Executive Committee, their main decision-making body at the time.

The FAI's revised accounts for 2018 show they received €8.5m in grants from UEFA, an increase of €3.5m on the previous year's allocation.