Soccer-Irish government backs rescue package for governing body

Ireland's government agreed on Thursday to support a financial rescue package for the Football Association of Ireland, including restoration and doubling of its state funding that it said would ensure Irish soccer has a secure future.

The FAI's auditors said last month it could not guarantee the governing body could continue as a going concern after an ordered restatement of its accounts increased its overall liability to 55 million euros.

State funding, suspended last April amid a series of corporate governance scandals, will be doubled to 5.8 million euros a year until 2023. The government will also provide an interest-free loan of 2.5 million euros each year until 2022, Sports Minister Shane Ross said in a statement.