Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I concur with the Minister of State’s comments. Senator Malcolm Byrne mentioned the IABA and I also have my concerns in this regard. To be quite honest, there must be wholesale change at the top of that organisation. An independent review was commissioned at short notice because this committee was seeking to look at the governance of the IABA. The review was undertaken by the same person who carried out the previous review and yet the recommendations do not refer to the senior management in the organisation. This is where the problem seems to be, and I say this having spoken to representatives of the clubs and to volunteers on the ground. I do not have faith in the organisation. I will be honest about this. The situation must be re-examined. Having talked to the people on the ground and in the clubs, they are not happy with the recommendations that have come from the report I referred to. Therefore, this issue must be looked at again. A significant number of people, some 30 volunteers, were suspended. Those were people who had devoted thousands of hours to this sport throughout their lives. Those suspensions were appealed and those appeals were upheld, but the people concerned have had to fund the cost of those appeals that vindicated them. I do not think this is acceptable in any sport.