Eamonn Coghlan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

There are no problems whatsoever inside the ring. Athletes from other sports are reminded many times of how wonderful the boxers are and how many medals they have won over the past 50 years by the gentlemen opposite, with glee in their eyes.

There are, however, some problems outside of the ring. Today, we see the problems are about trust, communication, respect and credibility. That is among the Irish Sports Council, which asks sporting national governing bodies to reach certain criteria in all the various levels of performances such as high performance teams, sports development and participation in sport. Part of the problem is also Billy Walsh. It was not about money but he was looking for respect. It seems like he was not being given that. There is also the problem within the IABA, which refuses to be dictated to by the Irish Sports Council. The IABA does not go 100% with any suggestions the council has.

Having listened to some of the other debate today, I also feel a major part of the Billy Walsh problem is the boxing coaches. Reference was made to club level and regional level coaches. Once an athlete gets to the high performance level, he or she is taken over by the high performance coach. I do not believe the coaches are too happy about this. They got their athlete to a certain level. Why should they then have to hand them over to a high performance coach? Going back several years when Billy Walsh was given this role, it is my understanding that when the coaches showed up at the National Stadium, the high performance coach said they were not allowed in because it was his gig. The problem is actually coming from the coaches because of the long-term influence they may have with board members of the IABA. This is where the problem arises, with giving Billy Walsh respect and credit.

There is also a problem with Gary Keegan's and Billy Walsh's brilliance when they established the high performance unit in the IABA. However, because they aligned themselves with the Irish Sports Council and the Irish Institute of Sport, the IABA does not seem to like that, unlike some other national governing bodies which I have observed welcoming such support with open arms.

The IABA referred to a newspaper report about ulterior motives within the Irish Sports Council. What are those ulterior motives? Is the Irish Sports Council really trying to control the high performance unit of the IABA?