Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for his comments. As he is aware, there has been an independent review of IABA with very strong recommendations. If he reads the review and recommendations fully, it sets out many difficulties, the dysfunction, the governance concerns and the issues that arise in terms of the connection with the grassroots and between the core organisation and the board. That is why we have been very clear that we want IABA as an organisation to fully adopt at its extraordinary general meeting in June all of the recommendations that have been proposed.

To be clear, there has been an independent review, which has produced very clear and frank recommendations, which underpin best practice around governance and other aspects of how to run a sporting organisation. We want to see them fully implemented and for the board to embrace all of the recommendations. We want an implementation plan that is decided within a minimum of three months and then monthly meetings overseen by Sport Ireland around the implementation. If that does not happen, there will be very severe financial consequences. We will look at protecting athletes like Kellie Harrington and others. We have seen great success in the European championships and in the world championships in the past week or two. We want to ensure our high-performance athletes and grassroots are protected, but there will be immediate challenges for IABA as an organisation if it does not implement the recommendations. We are not standing over ongoing cyclical dysfunction, zero women on the board and multiple other challenges. We have had the resignation of Bernard Dunne recently and previously that of Billy Walsh. It is important that there is full implementation of the recommendations.