Speaking just moments after it emerged that the FAI’s official auditor’s Deloitte have written to the Companies Registration Office to inform it the FAI’s accounts are not being properly kept, Mr Ross dropped the bombshell that the FAI board has agreed to resign.

Saying “now is the time for regime change”, Mr Ross said FAI president Donal Conway wrote to him this morning confirming the board will step down.

Mr Ross said while the FAI has suggested this should happen after an emergency general meeting in July, he wants to see this happen sooner and potentially at an extraordinary general meeting in the coming weeks.

Mr Ross said: “I welcome that the FAI is engaging with Sport Ireland in a process, and that they have now indicated that the board will step down. I believe that an EGM should be called before the July date, as soon as the active investigations have been concluded, to facilitate a transition to a new board by way of transparent elections.

BREAKING: Statement from Sports Minister Shane Ross confirms the board of the FAI "have now indicated [it] will step down", with a July emergency general meeting suggested. #iestaff

— Fiachra Ó Cionnaith 😊 (@Ocionnaith) April 16, 2019

Mr Ross has referred to a “shamobolic” appearance by the FAI at he committed last week “at which even the most basic questions went unanswered”.

He added: “I am pleased to confirm to the committee that the FAI will take “decisive action” on the issue.

He proceeded to read a letter he had received from the FAI, where the organisation apologised for any embarrassment its appearance at the committee last week had caused.

The letter, from FAI president Donal Conway, stated that “in relation to the Board structure, we have engaged with Sport Ireland in relation to both membership of and terms of reference for a new Governance Group which will, amongst other issues, bring forward proposals for the restructuring of the Board and other governance requirements.”

The letter adds that it is the FAI’s intention that “recommendations in relation to re-structuring the board will be brought to the membership for their consideration” in July.

“At that point, when a new structure has been put in place, it is the intention that the existing Board will step down to allow for a new Board to be constituted in the interests of football.”

Mr Ross welcomed that the FAI board “have now indicated that the board will step down” and said he believes “an EGM should be called before the July date, as soon as the active investigations have been concluded, to facilitate a transition to a new board by way of transparent elections.”

He also added that the FAI will receive “no further Government funding” until “we see real change and reform in the association’s corporate governance, and until we have credible answers.”

Minister Ross said that it is “is quite the crisis for the FAI” but added it is an “opportunity to develop an inclusive vision for the development of soccer in Ireland”.

He said that it is a “long overdue conversation” that he and Minister for State for Sport Brendan Griffin “will facilitate”.

Sport Ireland chair John Treacy has confirmed it will launch a “full audit” of the FAI regardless of any reforms in the soccer body.

Mr Treacy said the audit was “agreed last night” with FAI officials.

In his original statement to the Oireachtas sports committee, Mr Treacy threatened the audit would be imposed if Sport Ireland felt FAI-funded reviews failed to go far enough.

However, this afternoon, he said this “full audit” will take place regardless of what the FAI does next.

Here is an overview of John Treacy's opening statement, as reported in the @irishexaminer this morning: https://t.co/6jHzyg7ofI

— Fiachra Ó Cionnaith 😊 (@Ocionnaith) April 16, 2019

Mr Treacey added that: “Sport Ireland is very concerned about FAI adherence to appropriate financial controls.

“Sport Ireland issued a formal response on April 11. As outlined, the Sport Ireland Act confers considerable authority in Sport Ireland, investing substantial amounts of public funding into sport.

“At our meeting on April 9, the board of Sport Ireland unanimously decided to withhold funding from FAI, this was not a decision we took lightly, but a last resort and used reluctantly.”

Mr Treacy added: “In light of this clear acknowledgement to withhold funding, in accordance with Clause 11 of the terms and conditions of the Sport Ireland Act, we made this decision.

“We are aware that 50% of youth funding had been paid to FAI already, and the next payment is due in the third quarter of this year. The board outlined that we’re of the clear view that this interim period should be used by the FAI to take whatever action is required to restore funding.

“Depending on what emerges from the Mazars and Grant Thornton reviews, as per terms and conditions of grant approval, we have agreed with FAI that a full audit will be carried out – this was agreed at a meeting last night,” Mr Treacy added.

“This audit will be as broad and extensive as necessary, including internal financial controls and management, and that general governance are at a sufficient standard to restore funding.”

Mr Treacy confirmed that the last time funding was suspended by Sport Ireland it took nine months for it to be restored.

He noted in response to Catherine Murphy that the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement will also now do its own full audit.

Shane Ross said he does not have control over the FAI board, when Catherine Murphy noted even though concerns had previously been flagged, his department still gave money to the FAI.

“We have made representations to the FAI, in accordance with their corporate governance to indicate we weren’t totally satisfied what was happening,” Mr Ross replied.

“We were constantly making it clear what we thought of their corporate governance in regards to their independence and women in sport, and longevity of people on the board that worried us, we regret a lot of things that happened.”