Roy Barrett calls for increased football funding by government as FAI set tone for future

Outgoing Football Association of Ireland chairperson Roy Barrett has outlined the reasons for his decision to leave his role, emphasising that he believes that the organisation is in a better place than when he started.

Barrett has spent the last three years attempting to help the FAI restore its reputation and return a level of financial stability to Irish football's indebted governing body.

And while admitting that it was a low bar when he took on the position, he believes that he is leaving the FAI in better health than when he arrived.

Barrett also spoke about how his departure would hopefully allow the FAI to meet Government requirements on gender balance, while he also called for increased funding for the sport, which he said was beneficial and integral to Irish society.

"There are actually a number of reasons I am standing down," Barrett told RTÉ Sport on Friday morning.

"Obviously, the requirement to have 40% gender balance by the end of 2023 was in my mind but there are other reasons as well.

"I have been in the role three years on the eighth of January and I have always had a view that whatever length of time I stayed on, there has been an awful lot of good work been done and I am happy the organisation is in a good place.

"I don’t believe the people in my type of role should stay for a long time. I do believe in either boards or organisations regenerating themselves. And maybe when you look at something like the FAI and the relatively tumultuous time it has come through and all that has happened, I am happy now where things have got to.

"New blood, new thoughts, new faces with new ideas is a good thing, in my view. It just so happens that it coincides with the requirement in terms of gender balance," added Barrett,