The Football Association of Ireland should have acted sooner when concerns were raised in 2023 about the alleged abuse of female players by a male coach in the 1990s, according to members of the joint Oireachtas committee for sport.
“There was a time-lag between complaint and action which I think is inexcusable,” said Fianna Fáil TD Pádraig O’Sullivan during a three-hour hearing in Leinster House on Wednesday afternoon.
In response, the FAI chief executive David Courell told the committee that An Garda Síochána were approached in January 2024 following a formal complaint from the women involved in the documentary ‘Girls in Green’.
The award-winning RTÉ Investigates programme revealed widespread allegations of inappropriate behaviour by male coaches when it was aired in July 2024.
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“It was not a concern [in May 2023], it was a rumour,” said Courell. “As soon as we had an approach from the women involved [in January 2024] we took swift decisive action.”
In response, Fine Gael Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn said: “The difference between concerns and complaints is a red herring. It was more than a rumour and you know it was.”
The hearing also heard that, earlier this year, the Sunday Independent published internal FAI emails indicating that senior management were aware of a journalistic investigation into the allegations in May 2023.
Kirsten Pakes, the FAI’s child and safeguarding manager, replied “no” when asked by Ní Chuilinn if she was aware of the ‘Girls in Green’ allegations at that time.
When Aoife Rafferty, the FAI director of people and culture, was asked if she initiated a public relations response before informing Pakes of a safeguarding case, Rafferty responded: “I am not able to comment on that form of communication as it is part of an ongoing garda investigation.”
“Is this the answer we are going to get for everything?” responded Ní Chuilinn.
When Rafferty was then asked to explain an email sent to colleagues on May 5th, 2023, when she stated “that definitely keeps us safe for now”, after a draft press release on the allegations had been prepared, she replied: “I am really sincere about not impacting an ongoing garda investigation. I am happy to answer that question when the investigation is complete. I do believe we have created a level of trust where people can come forward.”
In response to Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne wondering what is the difference between a “concern” being raised in May 2023 and a “complaint” in January 2024, Courell said: “In generic terms, if someone came to me and said, ‘Something is happening’, I would want to give them a safe space to say it. But I would then tell them to engage in the process.”
He added: “I believe we are doing outstanding work on safeguarding.”
Committee chairman Alan Kelly requested a timeline in relation to the FAI’s actions so the committee can understand their safeguarding procedures.
“In relation to the distinction between concerns and complaints,” he added, “there is a concern that in the pre-January 2024 period, the association wasn’t robust enough and didn’t deal with the seriousness of the issue.”
