TDs to ask FAI to answer questions on when it knew of allegations about former national women’s manager

The Oireachtas Committee on Sport has agreed to ask the FAI to appear before it to face questions over when it knew about allegations a former national team manager’s treatment of female footballers.

The allegations were first revealed in a joint investigation by the Sunday Independent and RTÉ in July 2024.

As a result of the investigation, the FAI issued ‘stand down’ orders to three former coaches who had been involved in women’s football.

Two weeks ago, the Sunday Independent revealed that the FAI’s former director of public relations Cathal Dervan made an internal complaint that it was too slow to act on intelligence about former national team manager Mick Cooke’s alleged inappropriate behaviour with players.

Fianna Fáil Cork North Central TD Pádraig O’Sullivan said under Dáil privilege that correspondence he had seen showed that the allegations were known by the FAI nine months before the investigation aired.

Referring to the Sunday Independent article, he said: "The article alleged a number of things, but mainly that the FAI agreed a financial settlement with its former director of public relations to keep details of his complaints from becoming public. Second, and crucially, despite the FAI stating publicly that it only learned of these allegations in early 2024, the FAI's former director of public relations attempted to make a protected disclosure alleging the FAI had knowledge of these issues back in May 2023.

“I have access to the same information as the journalist who wrote the article on June 8.”

Mr O’Sullivan said what the correspondence showed was “damning”.

“I am not attempting to stray into the specifics of any allegations, that is a matter for the authorities concerned. However, for an organisation such as the FAI not to act on this matter, even in the absence of an official complaint or allegation, is extremely worrying and, if I am being brutally honest, it directly contradicts its child welfare and safeguarding policy.”

Minister of State at the Department of Sport, Charlie McConalogue, told the chamber it seemed the FAI had received no complaint nor evidence of inappropriate behaviour in 2023.

“Once it received a formal complaint in January 2024, the FAI acted swiftly and contacted An Garda Síochána and Tusla in accordance with mandatory reporting requirements and its own safeguarding and child welfare regulations,” the minister said.

“The allegations made by women involved in football in the 1990s were truly shocking and I commend the bravery of those who came forward to tell their stories. It is vital that allegations of this nature are taken seriously and dealt with in the appropriate manner," Mr McConalogue said.

Mr O’Sullivan thanked his party colleague for coming into the Dáil to address the matter himself, and said he would bring it to the Sport Committee tomorrow in private session.

"I hope representatives from the FAI will come in to address the concerns,” he said.

The FAI’s former PR director, Cathal Dervan, made an internal complaint that the organisation had been too slow to act on intelligence about Mr Cooke’s alleged inappropriate behaviour with players, the Sunday Independent revealed two weeks ago.

Joint reports by the Sunday Independent and RTÉ were published last July. They revealed allegations from former players about the conduct of three coaches, including former Ireland manager Mick Cooke. Mr Cooke has denied any wrongdoing.

While the FAI has publicly said it first learned of the allegations in early 2024, Mr Dervan made what he called a protected disclosure alleging the FAI knew of concerns relating to Mr Cooke from May 2023.

His complaint is understood to have raised concerns that FAI safeguarding staff were not alerted and the association failed to investigate the intelligence it had in May 2023.

He said the issue was important because Mr Cooke was coaching Dublin City University (DCU) women’s team in 2023.

The coach remained in the role until March last year when the FAI issued him and two other coaches with “stand down orders”, temporarily prohibiting them from involvement in football.

DCU has since said it has received no complaints about Mr Cooke’s conduct.

Click here to read article