Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I think we are on the same side here. There is no problem with that. The idea that we should give funding to a body which has not set its house in order is unacceptable. My only interest, and that of the Government, is that the money should be used properly, which means in the interest of the athletes, their families and supporters. The problem we have identified is that the organisation was not being run in the interests of the athletes at all. It would be wrong of us to give money to any body until we are absolutely satisfied that its corporate governance is in order because that is what will guarantee the interests of the athletes and others. The corporate governance was junk.

It must be reformed. If I were to say today that I intended to restore funding to the OCI, without first having determined that the reforms had been implemented or were at least well under way, the Deputy would be critical of me, rightly so. The reforms are in the interests of the athletes. Their purpose is to redress the balance between the interests of naked commercialism and those of the competitors which, as identified in the report, was so wrong. It is for this reason that the funding is being withheld by Sport Ireland. We are anxious to have it restored, to see the athletes' sores healed and to ensure spectators and everybody else will be the number one priority. That is what we are attempting to do and it is the reason the funding is not yet being provided. We are anxious that the process be accelerated. Let there be no doubt - I said this yesterday - that the OCI is kicking an open door in that regard. We want to provide it with funding. I would love to be able to tell the committee next week that the Department is in the process of providing funding for the OCI through Sport Ireland because it has been reformed, that the athletes will be the chief beneficiaries and that the reputation of Ireland has been restored, but we are not there yet. We are monitoring the position on a weekly basis, with intense interest and I can guarantee the Deputy that this will continue.