The General Assembly of the Football Association of Ireland has exceeded the Government gender balance requirement following the ratification of the appointments of Ursula Scully and Laura Finnegan O’Halloran to the Board of the FAI.

The appointments bring the Board up to 14 Directors and ensures that the Association surpasses the gender balance requirements set out by Government with 43 per cent female representation on the Board.

Last December, the General Assembly voted in favour of expanding the Board to add two more female Directors with Ursula and Laura now joining Catherine Guy, Liz Joyce, Niamh O'Mahony and Maeve McMahon on the Board.

The appointments are hugely significant in securing Government funding but also in showing leadership in the area of equality, diversity and inclusion to encourage more women to be involved in football in key positions.

Ursula returns to the FAI Board following a two-year spell from 2019 to 2021. She is the secretary of the North Tipperary Schoolchildren's Football League and a committee member with the Munster FA. Ursula has been elected as a Football Director to the Board.

Laura, a Lecturer in Sport Management and Talent Development in SETU Waterford and known for her research into football development, has been elected as an Independent Director. 

Chair of the FAI Board Tony Keohane said: "On behalf of the FAI Board, I would like to congratulate both Ursula and Laura on their appointments. I have no doubt that they will be fantastic additions to what is now a highly-skilled Board who are passionate about helping to continue developing Irish football at all levels."

FAI President Paul Cooke said: "I would like to welcome Ursula and Laura to the FAI Board following their elections. The Board will benefit from this addition of two Directors who have strong backgrounds in business, education and football.

"I would also like to thank members of the General Assembly for ratifying these appointments which help us to meet the Government quota of female representation on our Board."