Sports Minister Shane Ross has welcomed the appointment of three new independent directors at the Football Association of Ireland but has warned that the Government will not hand over any money without conditions.

The embattled FAI last night confirmed that Roy Barrett, the managing director of Goodbody Stockbrokers, has been appointed as the new chairperson of the board.

Barrett will be joined by Catherine Guy, the CEO of Sixt Leasing and a former managing partner of law firm ByrneWallace, and Liz Joyce, an experienced HR Director whose current role is with the Central Bank.

It's understood that the fourth independent director has been identified but has some issues to tie up over the coming weeks before they can join the 12-person committee.

Minister Ross has consistently stated that the Government will not restore the annual €2.9million in funding until full reform within the FAI is complete. He and a delegation from the Department of Sport are due to meet officials from UEFA next Tuesday in attempts to find a resolution to the Abbotstown body's dire predicament.

The FAI is seeking an €18million bailout so it can continue trading.

"We'd love to restore funding. We give them €2.9 million per annum. This is the first step obviously in the restoration of that," Mr Ross told Newstalk.

"We would like to see and we will see the implementation of the corporate reforms which were recommended, before we give the cheque back.

"I don't anticipate giving any money without conditions. I think that would be absolutely wrong. The Government's interest in this is not financial. The Government's interest in this is more societal.

"We want to be absolutely certain that the schoolboys and the schoolgirls and the volunteers that I see every weekend in my constituency, that they are protected.

"That the League of Ireland thrives and that grassroots football thrives. We don't see this as some sort of commercial return. Football is part of the fabric of society. That has got to be protected. That doesn't mean rewarding people for wrongdoing in the past."

Online Editors