Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 13 July 2022

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media

Governance and Related Issues in Cycling Ireland: Discussion

Photo of Ciarán CannonCiarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for joining us today and for the exceptional work they are doing in developing the sport and the pursuit of cycling on the island of Ireland. I asked that the witnesses appear before us today to address the significant breakdown in trust that occurred as the result of the actions of an admittedly small group of people within the organisation in how they approached the grant aid process. We must begin to restore trust, hopefully to a significant level, so the 25,000 members of Cycling Ireland and people who are generally interested in and passionate about the sport of cycling can have that trust on an ongoing basis. The witnesses have done an exceptional amount of work since these anomalies and issues were first identified and I congratulate them on that. Asking them here was not about engaging in any kind of accusatory or Star Chamber process. It is about bringing as much information as we possibly can out into the open with regard to the ongoing reforms in governance that are happening, and will continue to happen, in Cycling Ireland, hopefully for as long as is necessary.

I have a few questions for the witnesses. It is important that these questions are asked and answered so we can continue with that process of restoring trust. Is there an ongoing Garda examination or inquiry into the false quotations that were given to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media? If so, has that inquiry arrived at any conclusions? Having been a member of Cycling Ireland for many years, I always thought there was a significant lacuna or vacuum in the area of communication between the board, the executive and the members. It is a very large organisation with 25,000 members, which is excellent to see. When it became apparent to the board that these issues had arisen, was there any ambition to make this information known to the members within the shortest possible timeframe? Why did it take so long for the members to be informed of these issues? They are substantial stakeholders within the organisation. They effectively contribute to the financial well-being of the organisation but I have always felt they were held at a remove from the board itself. That needs to be resolved. I would be interested in how exactly the witnesses intend to do that.

There is another aspect of Cycling Ireland's work, which is something I am passionate about. I have always considered this unusual so the witnesses might be able to help me on this. The memorandum of association states, "The main object for which the Company is established ... is to encourage, develop and organise cycling on the island of Ireland including but not exclusively racing and leisure cycling". Today's opening statement from Sport Ireland states:

Cycling Ireland is the NGB for cycling across the island of Ireland. Its stated vision is to develop an island enriched by cycling.

That is a very powerful choice of words. I would argue that a key element in delivering on those two objectives, that is, to organise, encourage and develop cycling and to develop an island enriched by cycling, is ensuring Cycling Ireland's 25,000 members can cycle in a relatively safe environment. Whether leisure members training for the next sportive or elite racing members training for their next time trial, TT, or hoping to make it onto a national team, their training place is essentially our public roads. There are no other options available to them right now. Our public roads are their de facto training facility. Do the witnesses believe Cycling Ireland has a role in advocating for safer roads in Ireland? Have they engaged with organisations like the Road Safety Authority or An Garda Síochána in the past, or do they intend to engage with them in the future, to ensure our legislation is sufficiently robust to protect Cycling Ireland's members when they are cycling on public roads? If I was a board member of Cycling Ireland, I would think that a critically important element of the work it does. In my experience working with many others in cycling across Ireland in the last four or five years, the voice of Cycling Ireland has been strangely silent on all these matters. I would be interested in the witnesses' perspectives on that.

The witnesses will be aware that over the last six months to a year, many club and provincial cycling organisations around the country have had difficulty staging events on public roads, be they TTs, races or whatever else. There seems to be an inconsistent approach within An Garda Síochána as to how these events are facilitated at local level. Some gardaí and their superiors seem to be exceptionally supportive of events and others seem to be implacably opposed. Has Cycling Ireland engaged with the Garda at a national level, or does it intend to, to put in place a agreed protocol or policy for when clubs or provincial organisations seek to organise an event?

It is fantastic that Cycling Ireland has achieved gender balance on its board. Is there a representative on the board who represents the views of the members of Cycling Ireland? I know it is difficult to arrive at a consensus on what those views might be. Who is the voice on the board for the 25,000 members who make a substantial financial contribution to Cycling Ireland each year? Who represents their interests in terms of how they want the organisation to develop, their interaction with the organisation, such as in the area of membership renewal, and their objectives and passion for the development of the sport in future?

I say "Well done" to our witnesses on a very successful Rás event this year. It was wonderful to see that historic cycling event coming back to life and making us all very proud to be part of Cycling Ireland. How does the investment of Cycling Ireland in that race compare with the investment it makes or intends to make in Rás na mBan or the Junior Tour of Ireland, which is currently ongoing? This is important. I refer to what the UCI is doing internationally to promote women in cycling, along with organisations such as the Amaury Sport Organisation, ASO, and others that are increasingly finding a way to bring women in cycling onto television channels and smartphones. It is important for Cycling Ireland, too, to be very active in promoting women in cycling at local, provincial and national levels.

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