SIPTU slam FAI's 'double-standards' over Hill's payments

SIPTU and their membership within the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) have criticised what they claim is "double standards" following recent pay revelations surrounding its Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Hill.

A Sports Ireland-commissioned audit by KOSI revealed that Hill was paid €12,000 in 2022 in lieu of holidays not taken despite this practice being outlawed in the staff handbook for their 240 employees.

Hill, who hasn’t relocated to Dublin from his London home three years in the job, must also pay €8,500 in benefit in kind (BIK) on the expenses arising from his regular commutes.

The episode, coming four years after the corporate and financial crisis that led to John Delaney’s 15-year reign as CEO ending, has angered both staff and a rump of board members.

They have requested sight of the KOSI report and the questions around who within the FAI sanctioned the payments is set to dominate the board meeting on Wednesday that was demanded by the aggrieved directors.

They first learnt of the items being identified at a board meeting on November 1. It’s understood the issues was raised a few days earlier at association’s Audit and Risk Committee, chaired by the Department of Health general secretary and FAI director Robert Watt, SIPTU, the union representing the majority of workers, are irate at this latest matter which has led to Sport Ireland delaying the payment of Government funding.

They also note that the controversy arose on the very weekend Irish football should be celebrating a record crowd of almost 44,000 at Sunday’s FAI Cup final.

Ironically, the threat of State support was cited by the FAI top brass 25 hours earlier to push to support constitutional changes to the board structure.

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