John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the representatives of the IABA and Sport Ireland for those presentations. I will call members in a moment, but I might set the scene.

My first observation on both presentations is that you both very much want to secure success for Irish boxing, and you have delivered that success in spades particularly since 2002. However, obviously the events of the last week and the last number of months show that trust has broken down and you cannot agree on the best way forward. This has been an issue since the establishment of the high performance unit in 2002. While we do not wish to pick over the bones of everything that has happened since then, the issues that arose in the last few weeks did not just appear out of the sky. There was a situation in 2006, at the Beijing Olympics, where Gary Keegan did not have access to the boxers and so forth. All of those issues have been boiling under the surface for the last 13 years in many respects. Will the representatives of the IABA and Sport Ireland outline why that was allowed to develop over such a long period?

There are other questions. We also must look forward. What processes will be put in place to fill Billy Walsh's shoes, as it were, in the high performance unit? This is probably a matter for the IABA. What guarantees can be given that a similar situation will never happen again? Also, in view of the current situation, can it be guaranteed to the sporting fraternity and, above all, to the boxers that their preparations for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will not be negatively affected in any way?

Many issues have been covered in the media in the last week in particular. I have a question for the IABA with regard to the contracts, or the amendments to the contract. It was suggested that the IABA reserves the right to make reasonable changes to any terms and conditions and will notify the head coach within one month. Is that true or was that part of the contract? Second, I understand that the constitution of the IABA provides that all international teams must be formally approved. Can you confirm that is the situation? I have been involved in sport for many years and that would be similar to Liam Sheedy picking the Tipperary team in 2011 and there having to be a special meeting of the Tipperary county board to approve the team he picked before the All-Ireland final. It does not appear to make sense, but perhaps it does.

Those are my questions to open the proceedings.