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Irish FA Announces Equal Pay For Men And Women After Reaching 'Historic' Agreement

Irish FA Announces Equal Pay For Men And Women After Reaching 'Historic' Agreement

Katie McCabe praised Seamus Coleman and his Republic of Ireland teammates for being "brave enough to support us in such a progressive way."

The Irish Football Association (FAI) has confirmed that both men and women representing their country will receive equal pay in a momentous milestone.

The “historic” deal, which was struck on Monday, was brought to fruition with the help of FAI CEO Jonathan Hill and Ciaran Medlar.

Medlar was an advisor for both the men’s side and women’s team during talks, with Republic of Ireland women’s captain Katie McCabe and men’s skipper Seamus Coleman involved in the negotiations.

According to the FAI’s official website, the Republic of Ireland men’s team agreed to reduce their salaries.

The FAI added that it ‘matched their contribution’ to ensure that the women’s pay was bumped up to equal the men’s.

The equal pay arrangement will come into “immediate effect” for September’s international fixtures.

Speaking on the landmark announcement, McCabe said: “This is a great day for Irish football. We have taken a huge step forward with this deal and have shown the world what can be achieved through unity as we offer male and female international players the same opportunities.

PA

“I am very proud as Ireland captain of the work that has been put in to get us to this point, not just by the current team but by so many Irish players in the past. They are the real heroes in this story, they took a stand and they passed on the baton to the current generation.

“Seamus Coleman and his teammates in the senior men’s squad also deserve credit for being brave enough to support us in such a progressive way on this issue. It is really appreciated.

“I also want to thank Jonathan Hill and Ciaran Medlar for their roles in this agreement.

“The relationship between the FAI and the senior women’s team is stronger than I have ever known it and we look forward to continuing to work together to make Irish football better for everyone who plays our game, regardless of their identity or background.”

The Republic of Ireland’s equal pay pledge puts them alongside countries like England and Norway, both of which have supported equal pay for international matches.

PA

The FAI also confirmed that it had ‘agreed equality of approach’ with both the men and women over any qualification for future tournaments.

“On behalf of the senior men’s squad, I welcome this news today,” Coleman said.

“We are delighted as players to do what we can to ensure that our female international players are treated equally and fairly and we remain fully committed to doing whatever we can to achieve that goal together.

“This deal is the right one for everyone who plays international football for Ireland, no matter which team they represent.

“We have been working towards this agreement for some time now with Katie, Jonathan and Ciaran and I hope this acts as an inspiration to many other nations to follow suit.”

Featured Image Credit: FAI TV/PA

Topics: Republic of Ireland, Football